


Fated in Lynchburg

by DragonGirl420



Category: Supernatural, Supernatural RPF
Genre: F/M, Jensen Ackles Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-07-28 20:05:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 36,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16248905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonGirl420/pseuds/DragonGirl420
Summary: Jensen is on a business trip, Y/N is on a much-needed vacation. Though they both have plans for a quiet evening, whiskey and fate have a different idea.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For SPN Genre Bingo. Square filled: Drunken Night

[Originally posted by whiskeydean](https://tmblr.co/Zzd47x2Tus7hD)

The travel brochures had come in the mail over a week ago, but they still sat on the table, mocking you every time you walked by them. You had called the travel agent to cancel the request, now that there was no trip to plan, yet they came anyway. The feeling of disappointment over that fact alone was overwhelming. You slumped down into the kitchen chair and tossed the open envelope across the table. It was only a few weeks ago you started planning a weekend away. Sure, you could have researched it all online, but half the fun of planning your trip with your ex was sitting and looking through the brochures together. You sure as hell never thought that you’d be broken up by the time they arrived. But your ex was gone now. They were gone for good and honestly, it was for the best.

You had been doing fine until the stupid brochures showed up.

Peering at them from the corner of your eye, you felt enormously jealous of the people that got to go on vacation. You wanted to go. You wanted to spend a fun weekend somewhere that wasn’t home nor overly crowded, where you could just soak in the local atmosphere, no tourist traps, all while relaxing and just having some fun.

So, what if there was no one to go with. Your ex wasn’t exactly a good old time, wasn’t that one of the reasons things ended? Your eyes kept floating back to the brochures as your fingernails tapped anxiously against the top of your small kitchen table. You pulled your cell from your jeans pocket and dialed your best friend. A second opinion never hurt, and you could always rely on Jill to give it to you straight.

The call rang twice, and you heard the familiar tenor of her ‘work’ voice answer. Not wasting any time, you dove right in. “Hey, do you think I should go on this trip alone?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t you?” she replied without missing a beat, the sound of nails on the keyboard clacking away behind her. “I told you this when you kicked dumbass out. Go. Anyway. Hell, I’d go with you if I didn’t—”

“Yes, yes. I know. Saving the world one character at a time. Gotcha.”

“Bite me. But yes, if this deadline wasn’t looming I would be there. I promise you a trip to somewhere beachy and tropical in the Spring once this hellscape novel is finished. For now, go on the damn trip already!”

“Ok, fine.”

“I’m serious, Y/N. Go. Have some fun and then tell me all about it. Unfortunately, I gotta run, I got Chester locked up in a bad escape attempt and gotta figure out how to free him before Evie returns with the compass that will surely kill him… or not. Honestly, I haven’t decided yet.”

“This is why I love being friends with a writer. You always keep life interesting,” you chuckled and reached for the brochures. “I’ll let you go. I guess I have a trip to plan. Oh, and Jill? Don’t kill Chester. I need him to live to turn Evie back to good so they can finally be together.”

“Stop trying to push your ships on me, woman! Call me when you get back.”

With that, the call ended, and you began to sort through the few options that were in front of you. Throwing aside the ones your ex had asked for specifically, you focused on the two you’d really wanted to try out – Lynchburg, Tennessee or St. Augustine, Florida. Pursuing through both, you realized St. Augustine was much better for a couple’s retreat, rather than a single’s trip. You only had three days, and a tour of the Jack Daniel’s Distillery and Lynchburg, Tennessee seemed like an adventure you could use right now.

Picking up your phone again, you made the call to the travel agent and told her to book you a weekend in Lynchburg, with all the top-notch amenities and transportation. You were going to enjoy every second of this trip even if it was by yourself.

* * *

 

The following weekend, you found yourself standing in the lobby of a beautiful hotel only a stone’s throw from the Lynchburg town proper. Once you were checked into your room, you wanted to freshen up, change your clothes and head downstairs to get something to eat. After the world’s best shower, you put on your cutest, most casual outfit fixed your hair and makeup, and took one last look in the mirror.

Taking a deep breath, you felt your nerves start to rise and decided to give yourself a pep talk. “You look great, you’re going to have a great time, and no one will say anything to you about dining alone. If they do, you own it and just enjoy every second.” Giving your reflection your most confident smile, you left the room and went down to the restaurant.

The place was crowded and slightly loud, but you were starving and didn’t feel like leaving hotel grounds for food. Once at the hostess stand, you surveyed the dining room and saw no open tables. To your right was at least fifteen to twenty people sitting around and waiting for a seat. When the hostess returned, she told you the only way you’d be eating in that restaurant would be to wait two hours or choose from the limited bar menu and eat there. You offered a polite thank you, sighed, and made your way to the bar.

There was one empty seat in the corner near where the waitstaff would pick up their table drink orders. It was a courtesy spot, and you were sure you’d receive a dirty look from each server that had to be courteous of your sitting there. But, it was the only seat, so you took it. Twenty minutes went by before a bartender even looked your way, and you were starting to regret taking the trip at all.

You finally caught his eye and he reluctantly walked over. “What can I get you?”

“A Jack and Coke, and a menu, please.”

He was instantly frustrated. “Lady, the bar menu is really small, and you’re better off waiting for a table. Bar food is backed up at least an hour.”

“Just the drink, please,” you mumbled and reached into your purse to slap down your money.

He put down the glass, took your bill and made the change before jumping down the line to the next customer. The smell of the food was intoxicating. For a hotel restaurant, everything that passed by your nose was something you wanted to devour. The line by the door was growing instead of shrinking, so you were going to just finish your drink and go raid the mini fridge in your room.

Fate had other plans.

* * *

 

Jensen grabbed his phone from the end of the bed and saw the missed call from Jared. He knew without even reading the follow-up text that he was stuck in Austin and wouldn’t be making the trip. He wasn’t angry, Jared had his own business to take care of, not to mention a wife and kids. Jensen didn’t.

Throwing himself into opening a place of his own was the goal, and one of the steps he wanted to take was touring a variety of breweries before making big decisions on a business plan. The show took up most of his time, but much like his best friend, he needed something to help fill his other aspirations. Why not a brewery of his own?

He paused at the mirror before leaving his hotel room and cringed when he caught sight of himself. He was still wearing his frayed jeans from the day before, and the blue button-down dress shirt looked like something he pulled from the back of his closet and wore for a week straight. He groaned and rubbed a hand over his two-week-old stubble.

“Dude, you look like shit,” he chastised his reflection. “Shower, maybe?” Glancing at his watch he saw the time and knew he’d miss his reservation downstairs if he took the time to freshen up. Though, he also knew they would keep it for him. Taking off the baseball cap, he flung it on the bed and decided to chance it and go shower but opted to leave the beard. It gave him better cover when out in public and that was something he was looking forward to that weekend, a bit of anonymity. It was a business trip, after all, not an event for the show.

Jensen showered and dressed in record time. Deciding simply on a pair of dark blue jeans, and a white button-down dress shirt, with the sleeves, rolled up and his favorite pair of boots, he gave himself one last look in the mirror.

Satisfied with his appearance, he went to open the door and paused. Stepping back in front of the mirror, he looked again and forced a smile. “Eating alone is fine, man, relax. Nothing to get weird about. It’s just dinner then back to the room for a good night’s sleep and a busy day tomorrow. Just a quick side trip then back to business in Vancouver, where everything feels right with the world.”

With that, he straightened the collar of his shirt and headed down to the restaurant, fully prepared for a quiet meal in a dimly lit corner of a hotel bar.

But, as it usually goes… fate had other plans.

* * *

 

You were just about to leave the bar when you saw an empty table hidden in the furthest corner of the room. Hanging back for another ten to fifteen minutes, you watched to see if anyone was going to be sat there. There was a small white sign on it that said,  _Reserved_ , but no one seemed to be walking towards it. Another ten minutes later, you decided to try and claim it as your own. After all, what was the worst that could happen?

As you approached the table, you turned your head casually over each shoulder and saw no one watching. Slipping into a chair that faced out towards the room, you smiled to yourself as you took one of the menus and started looking through the choices.

Just as you got to the entrees section, you heard a woman clear her throat and could feel her staring down at you.

“Excuse me, ma’am, this is not your table. This table was clearly marked reserved.”

You closed the menu and chuckled nervously as you looked up at her. It wasn’t the same hostess you spoke too, but she was clearly annoyed as deeply as you were embarrassed.

“I—I’m so sorry,” you started and noticed a very good-looking man standing behind her. His arms were crossed over his chest, but he wasn’t angry or annoyed. In fact, you thought he looked amused.

He let the situation play out for a moment and spoke up. “No, no, she’s fine,” he said and gave you a wink, “she’s a friend. Last minute change of plans I won’t be dining alone.”

“Oh my—I’m so sorry Mr. Ross,” she said to him then turned to you, “Please, accept my apologies, Miss.”

You played along, albeit nervously, but still went with his diversion. “Not a problem, honest mistake,” you said, waving her off.

She nodded, left the drink menu on the table and quickly scurried off. You saw and watched nervously as the man pulled out his seat and joined you at the table. His eyes were bright in the dimly lit room and though they were fixed intently on you, it didn’t make you uncomfortable.

“I am so sorry for taking your table. I was just starving, and the place was so crowded, the bartender was a dick—”

“Whoa, whoa. It’s not a problem. Honest. Let’s just start with your name, and then tell me why the bartender was a dick.”

You snorted a laugh and sat forward in your seat, your hand stretched out across the table. “I’m Y/N.”

“Nice to meet you, Y/N, I’m Jensen,” he said with a smile. “I don’t have a dinner guest tonight, so you are more than welcome to share the table.”

“Are you sure? That’s not too weird, or anything?”

“No, I don’t mind at all. Besides, seems like maybe you’ve had a bit of a rough night. Waiting for a table when you’re hungry is the worst. Plus, a douchey bartender…” he sucked in air through his teeth and leaned back, picking up a menu, “if anything, this calls for some drinks.”

“Jensen, I couldn’t agree more.”

The drinks came first, then a round of appetizers and salads. By the time your entrees came, you were well into your third whiskey sour and he on his fourth straight up. The food was helping to maintain a level of intoxication that allowed you to be fun and less stiff then you’d normally be eating and conversing with a stranger, but still maintain your composure. The conversation was light and easy, nothing about work, relationships or the meaning of life. He was fun to talk too and had one of the most radiant smiles you’d ever seen.

When the waitress put your entrees down, you and Jensen shared a look of disbelief at the size of the plate in front of you. She offered to refresh your drinks and before you could refuse, he said yes for both of you.

“I really shouldn’t,” you said once she left.

“Shouldn’t try and eat that massive meal, or have another drink?”

You consider it for a second. “Mmm, both.”

“Big day tomorrow?”

“Not terribly. I’m here on vacation, so it’s a relaxing day. Going to take a tour of the distillery at some point. Otherwise, some browsing downtown, museums, shopping.”

“By yourself?”

You nodded and poked at the food in front of you. “Enough about me. What brings you to town this weekend?”

“Work, kind of,” he said before shoveling a fork full of vegetables into his mouth.

“Kind of?”

“I’m thinking of opening a brewery back home in Texas with a buddy of mine. So, I’m here doing some recon. My buddy was supposed to join me, but he got held up, so it’s just me.”

“I’m sorry he couldn’t come, but I gotta say, that’s pretty cool. So, is that what you do? You’re a professional brewmaster? Bar connoisseur or something like that?” you asked playfully.

“Not even close,” Jensen replied and wiped his face with his napkin. “That’s a side business. My day job… well…” he shrugged again, trying to blow it off. But now you were curious about him and had just enough to drink to be brazen enough to nudge him about it.

“Come on, tell me. What’s your day job?”

He narrowed his eyes at you as if he was debating on sharing highly classified information with you that could change the world. “I’m just a director,” he relented and shrugged.

“Well damn, certainly didn’t expect you to say that,” you mused and leaned back when the waitress delivered the next round. “Anything I would know?”

“Probably not,” he chuckled, but it was more to himself. “Little things here and there on television. Nothing to write home about.”

“Ah, gotcha. I don’t watch much tv, but if you tell me what you directed, I’ll go find it online—”

“No, its fine,” he said and raised his glass to yours. “Let’s just toast to getting to know new friends.”

“Here here!” you said and touched your glass to his. As you both brought the glass to your lips, your eyes locked. The way his sharp green eyes dug into you, caused you to shift uncomfortably in your chair. He’d been friendly all night, but also very courteous and respectful. At that moment, though, you felt so much energy coming off him, it was hard not to be affected in any way.

“So, uh, Y/N… I don’t know if I should ask you or not, but how come you’re here alone?”

“Because I wanted a weekend getaway. Not too far to travel, but still somewhere different. And, the person I was planning to take—well—let’s just say that I am better off being here alone and without them in my life.”

“Their loss is my gain,” he mumbled with a smirk, then quickly tried to correct himself. “I just mean that I’m sorry that you had to deal with that, but you being here alone means I have the most enjoyable dinner companion I’ve had in a long time.” He winked and that cemented it. You didn’t think he was just handsome, he was sexy as hell.

A rush of heat filled your core as you quickly looked down at your plate. The whiskey and his compliments were making you feel a certain way; much bolder and more promiscuous than you normally would be. The more you stared at him from across the dimly lit table, the more you wanted to bring him back upstairs. The inner dialogue and argument had already started, about how wrong that is, and how stupid you would be to have a one-nighter with a stranger in a bar. Thankfully whatever was left of your logical side quickly shot it all to hell.  _For all you know, the guy is married or dating someone. OR, hey, here’s an idea, stupid. Maybe he’s just not that into you._

Shaking it off, you decided just to ask him. “Jensen, I want to ask you a question, but I don’t mean to be too forward.”

“Shoot.”

“Are you married, or dating—”

“No, I am neither of those things,” he smiled and laid down his fork. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I’ve had more than a few drinks and now I’m being nosey,” you giggled and took a small sip of your drink.

Jensen pushed his plate away and rested both elbows on the table, and laced his fingers together. “I don’t think I can eat another bite. You?”

“No,” you shook your head slightly and pushed yours away as well. “Honestly, some fresh air sounds amazing right now.”

“Yes ma’am, I agree with that,” he chuckled, his gaze firmly locked with yours. “Let me get the check, hit the restroom, and I’ll meet you out on the patio if you, uh, you know… wanna maybe have another drink and just…” he trailed off and shrugged, his expression a bit chased and unsure, but hopeful.

“Sounds perfect,” you smiled and reached into your purse for your card.

Jensen waved you off, “It’s already done, put it away.” He stood up from the table and came around to your chair. He pulled it out gently for you as you stood up and took your hand in his.

There was an actual electrical shock that jumped between your fingers when he touched you. Whether it was static from the carpet or just the energy between you, it was exciting.  _He_  was exciting. He lifted the back of your hand to his lips and left a lingering kiss there. “See you out there.”

As you watched him turn and exit through the rear door of the bar, you were scrambling through your purse for your cell phone. The minute it was in your hand and unlocked, you dialed Jill and prayed she was still awake.

“I love you, but you are becoming co-dependent,” she answered groggily.

“I know, I’m a dick, but I met someone. Help me.”

“Help you… how?”

“I don’t know… talk me out of this. Tell me I am being stupid.”

“I need details first.”

“Fine. We shared a table for dinner. He is sexy as hell and there were copious amounts of whiskey involved so far.”

“So far?”

“Yes,” you whispered loudly as you made your way through the restaurant and out towards the patio. “Now we finished dinner and are having more drinks outside and… oh my god…”

“What now?”

“This patio is beautiful. There’s a fire pit, and soft lighting, and its empty of course. Live band in the piano bar that’s playing out here too… We are gonna sit out here alone and drink—” you could feel yourself suddenly nervous at the idea of him coming back out to meet you as your breathing became shallower.

“Ok, first of all, chill. Remember to breathe. You’re single now, right?”

“Yes.”

“Him?”

“Yes.”

“Then who fucking cares? Have  _FUN_. Stop questioning everything and follow your instincts. Have another drink, get your flirt on, and if you wake up next to this guy in the morning, sneak a pic so I can live vicariously through you.”

You laughed and felt yourself begin to calm down. Taking in a deep breath, you exhaled slowly. “Thank you, I’m just nervous. I haven’t… ever in my life, do something like this.”

“I know, but now you are out living your life so you will have these new experiences. Stop worrying and just go with it. But, be safe, and bail if you feel uncomfortable at any time. Also, seriously, I need a text in the morning so I know you’re alive.”

“Ok, you got it.”

“Go have sex. I’m going back to bed now, seething with jealousy and pretending that this old man of mine is a sexy stranger I bet in a bar. Byyeeee.”

“Night,” you fake groaned, and shook your head, but kept your phone in hand and opened the text messages to her name just in case you needed more reassurance. You sat in one of the rockers and thought about the stranger who suddenly became your dinner date.

* * *

 

“Will you just calm down you idiot,” Jensen again chastised his reflection, but this time in the mirror in the men’s restroom. He stopped speaking out loud when two other guys came in and continued washing his hands while holding an inner palaver.

_She doesn’t know who you are, man, and she still seems into you. I mean, it feels like it. It’s been a while since you’ve met anyone that didn’t just want you for being Dean or because of the show. Just take it slow, talk, have a few drinks… see how it goes. But don’t be stupid. Be careful._

He turned off the faucet and grabbed the paper towel to dry his hands. As his fingers swirled the towel around, he couldn’t stop thinking about the girl on the patio. He’d never had an encounter like this before, and he found himself really turned on by it. Sure, she was beautiful, but it was more than that. It was the way her eyes narrowed when she laughed, the way she nervously tucked and untucked the hair behind her ear. It was the way her face lit up when she was talking about something she enjoyed or how she watched him talk about the same things.

Jensen tossed the towel into the garbage can, and slowly exited the bathroom. He could see her out there, pacing around talking to someone on the phone and just hung back a moment. He saw her laugh and felt a slight tug at his heart. He liked her. A lot.

“Dammit,” he mumbled to himself when the realization hit. Then, somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard the same inner voice growl,  _Just be careful, you stupid sonofabitch_.

* * *

 

Still fiddling nervously with your phone, you greeted him with a large grin when he stepped back out onto the patio. Right behind him was your waitress, carrying a tray with a bottle of Gentleman Jack and two glass tumblers with ice.

“Phoning a friend?” he asked curiously as he sat on the rocker beside you. The waitress smiled as she placed the bottle and glasses on the table between the rockers, before leaving and closing the doors behind her.

“Actually, yeah,” you replied with a nervous snicker, “she’s sorta my go-to for everything. I’m sure she’s one hundred percent sick of me right now, but—”

“Buuut?” his eyes were shimmering impishly as he went about pouring you each a drink.

“But… I—I shouldn’t call her again,” you replied nervously and put your phone back into your pocket. “She’s on deadline and I’ve called her like a dozen times in the last few days alone. If I call her again, she may write me into her novels, just to kill me off.”

“She’s a writer? What’s her name, maybe I’ve heard of her,” he sat back against the plush cushion and sipped at his whiskey.

“Well, she writes under two names. S.N. Scott and Willow Bainbridge.”

“Why two names?”

“She’s a really diverse author, but when you become successful in one genre they tend to pigeonhole you to that. She wanted to branch out, hence the two names.”

“Bainbridge… that’s actually familiar,” Jensen groaned slightly, reaching for a memory that was just out of reach. He remembered what he wanted, and his face flushed red at the recollection. “I  _do_ know her… she’s, uh, effective.”

Now you were the one smiling impishly. “Which did you read?”

“Long Cool Summer,” he mumbled and immediately brought the whiskey to his lips to hide the embarrassed smirk he wore.

“One of my favorites. Especially the scene on the beach…” you raised your own glass in a salute before taking a drink, and feeling your face flush, too. “I’m sort of surprised, didn’t think many guys read her softer stuff… Sci-fi, sure, but Long Cool Summer?”

“Hey, I’m a softie at heart, alright? Besides, my sister left it at my place and I had nothing to read. And yeah, that beach scene…. Oof,” he fanned himself and laughed uncomfortably. “That can give a guy some ideas.”

Before you could retort, the music from the piano bar came streaming out onto the patio. It wasn’t just any song, it was a cover of [Jeff Healey’s  _Angel Eyes_](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dkag0TsZzxpw&t=NTc2OGMwNDg2ZTVlMGQ2YTg0ZDkxZDM3OGVjOGIyZjg5ZjZlYWVmYyxDU1JJOHhUUA%3D%3D&b=t%3AnhKxeIEmJIrTLZjcVkg3iQ&p=https%3A%2F%2Fcoffee-obsessed-writer.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F178895279807%2Ffated-in-lynchburg&m=0), further creating an ambiance that enhanced the mood that was developing between you. There was a moment of awkward silence, which Jensen felt too, but instead of giving into it, he decided to change it.

Jensen gulped down the rest of his drink, placed the glass on the table and reached out a hand to you. “Come on.”

You gave in without question, and let him pull you into a loose embrace, one arm around your waist, the other still holding your hand and resting it against his chest.

“I’m not a great dancer,” you mumbled, trying to move with him. “I’m all left feet.”

Leaning down to your ear, he whispered, “Guess it’s a good thing I’m all right feet.”

You snorted a laugh, and when you saw his expression again, you melted a little at the dreamy smile he wore as he gazed down at you. The awkward silence grew again, but Jensen staved it off as he began to sing along with the song.

His voice was too much to handle. It was rich and smooth, yet still gritty and full of emotion as he shifted between singing and humming along. You caught sight of him, his eyes were closed, and he was lost in the moment with you. With each step, he would tighten his grip around your waist; with each verse, his lips were close to your ear and you wanted nothing more than to just give in and kiss him first.

“Jensen,” you rasped, not wanting to break the spell, but had the need to know where this was all heading.

“Hmmm?”

“Why did you invite me to join you? Why are we out here now, dancing like two kids at the prom? We don’t know each other. I’m just some random girl who tried to steal your reserved table.”

He didn’t stop dancing with you, but he did finally open his eyes. “I didn’t want to eat alone, and I got the impression from your attempted takeover that you’d be fun company. As for this… I just didn’t want the night to be over.”

“Me either. I have to say though, the whiskey’s made me brave. I wouldn’t normally…” you trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence without making things more awkward.

“Spend the night with a guy you don’t know?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“We can just enjoy the company and the music, there are no expectations here, Y/N. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like you, but I’ll happily walk you back to your room, and say goodnight with a handshake if that’s where this goes. Is that why you called your friend?”

“Mhm, she usually gives it to me straight, helps me sort things out.”

“And what was her recommendation?” he asked, the reflection of the flickering lanterns caught in his eyes, making them twinkle with goldish-green illumination. You didn’t realize how easily you could get lost in them until now.

“She said to stop thinking so much and enjoy the evening.”

“I like this friend,” he mused with a smirk.

The music faded and transitioned into something more modern and slightly obnoxious. Your bodies stopped swaying with the music, but his arms didn’t let you go right away. Your gaze lingered longer than it should have and there was no doubt about his intentions.

“You wanna get out of here or…?”

“Or, what?” you asked, your voice cracking with nerves.

“Call it a night.”

“I don’t want that at all,” you smiled but could feel yourself needing another whiskey. “I’d love another drink, but, maybe we can go upstairs?”

“God, yes,” he growled, finally letting you go and grabbing the bottle of whiskey. You went to grab the glasses, but he grabbed your hand and pulled you towards the doors. “Leave ‘em, I got more upstairs.”

* * *

 

You were giggling all the way through the bar and into the hallway near the lobby as Jensen relentlessly guided you through the swarms of people. Once you made it to the elevator bank, his arm was firmly around your shoulders and his fingers were impatiently tapping against your skin while you waited for the elevator. When the doors opened, he pulled you inside causing you to trip and nearly fall face first. Thankfully he caught you just in time and had his own little burst of drunk laughter as the doors slid closed.

“Are we too drunk for this?” he asked, helping you to be steady on your feet.

“I’m not,” you said, no longer caring about what people would think. You liked him. You wanted him, and you wanted this to happen. His lips were too enticing to wait for the elevator to reach its destination, so you reached up and kissed him.

They were just as full and soft as they looked all night long, and once you started, it was hard to stop. Given how much whiskey had been consumed, you were amazed at your own restraint when it came to how softly he was kissing you. It wasn’t as if he were trying to be gentle or chased, but slower and with more intention. He wanted to savor every second but was nearly unable to hold himself back. You followed his lead and found that you loved simply kissing him. It made the excitement of what lay ahead even more enticing.

The elevator stopped on the top floor, and a soft bell rang when the doors slid open. There was no one standing on the other side, which was good for Jensen given his current situation. The moment you reached his hotel room door, he gently pressed against your chest with his free hand and held out the whiskey bottle. “Hold this for a second.”

You took the bottle, but never took your eyes off him, nor him from you. He started sifting through his pockets looking for the key card but came up empty at first. “Its here, I swear it is,” he laughed, then just stopped looking for it. He leaned in to kiss you again placing both hands on either side of you trapping you against the door. Pressing his body against you, you reached around with your one free hand to his back jeans pocket. He felt your hand slip into it and smile through his kiss. “That impatient, huh?”

You laughed and shook your head. “No, ya drunk, it’s the only pocket you didn’t check.” You slid the keycard from the back pocket and held it out to him.

“Beautiful and smart as a whip, even while intoxicated. I think I hit the jackpot,” he teased and raised a suggestive brow at you.

Jensen opened the door and let you in first. You placed the bottle down on the counter near the small kitchenette in his suite. You wandered around for a minute, taking in the view he had from his room, while he emptied his wallet and cell phone out of his pockets.

“Wow,” you whispered breathlessly, taking in the view of the moonlit river that stretched out in the distance.

Jensen came up from behind you and snaked his arms around your waist, gently caressing your abdomen as he began kissing your neck in the same slow-burning way he did in the elevator.

Your eyes fluttered shut, and you rolled out your neck to give him better access, which elicited a guttural reaction from deep in his chest. His fingers began pulling at your shirt, cautiously tugging at the material, freeing it from where it was snagged on the hem and exposing your flesh to his hands. That was the spark that ignited the fumes in the air, leaving you unable to turn back.

“Jesus Christ,” you mewed as you felt his teeth grazing against your ear.

“Are you sure you wanna stay?” he asked, his voice was rough and full of hope that you were going to say yes. His lips hovered over you until he heard your answer.

“More than anything,” you whispered, and turned in his arms to face him.

“Still want that drink?”

“Nope, I have something else in mind now,” you gave him a knowing look, and playfully pushed him back towards the bed.

He found the edge and sat down, watching you intently. As you walked towards him, you began to slowly remove your clothes, leaving on only your bra and underwear. Jensen sat up and when you were within reach, he ran his hands down your nearly naked sides and drew you in, kissing you just above the hem of your silky bottoms. His hands moved around to your back and slowly moved down the soft swell of your ass. He tried to pull down the fabric, but you stopped him.

“Not yet,” you purred lifting his chin up to look at you. “Not yet.”

You knelt down before him and quickly freed him of his boots and jeans. You could see the length of him through his boxers and roughly ran your hand up the length of his rock-hard shaft, adding just the slightest bit of pressure. Jensen moaned and laid back on the bed with his eyes squeezed shut. You gingerly slid down his boxers, adding them to the discarded pile, and grabbed his cock with both hands.

He moaned again, and you could tell he was holding back from  _making you_  take him into your mouth. You loved that he was showing restraint and not giving in to his primal instincts, but you also wanted him to be rough. The idea of him taking control was turning you on more and more. You kissed the tip of his dick and teased him there with your tongue. You felt his hands tangle in your hair, and as he gently nudged you to go further.

You wrapped your lips around him and methodically began sliding your mouth up and down the length of cock; his breathing becoming more pronounced the longer you went on. After a couple of minutes, he couldn’t take the wait anymore. He sat up on the bed and grabbed your face with his hands. Jensen kissed you deeply before pulling you on top of him and running his hand across your breasts.

“Take it off,” he demanded through gritted teeth as he began to unbutton his shirt.

“Yes, sir,” you purred and unhooked your bar then slipped off your silky pink underwear. You stood before him, completely nude and alternated between feeling vulnerable and sexy.

Jensen took your hand and guided you onto the bed, his eyes on you the entire time. “You’re so God-damned beautiful,” he mused, and he pulled you down, so you were straddling his lap. His hand slipped between your thighs and against the warmth of your clit. The sensation elicited a euphoric whimper as he went further into your folds, letting his fingers explore every inch of you.

As you slowly swayed on top of him, he had your nipple between his tongue and teeth, and the fingers of his other hand firmly gripped into the flesh on your hip. It had been a long time since anyone had touched you the way he was, and with each flick of his finger, you felt more desperate to have all of him.

You bent your head down to his neck, and traced the outside of his ear with your tongue, grazing your teeth along the lobe and purred “I want you… I don’t care how, I don’t care how rough, but I need you to fuck me, now.”

“Whiskey really does something to ya? Huh?” he teased.

“You have no idea…”

Taking it upon yourself, you sat up on his lap and re-positioned yourself over him, sliding back down and allowing him to slowly thrust up into you. You both gripped the other tighter as the sensation of his cock filled you.

“Holy… fuck, Jens—”

He growled and began move faster into you while his hand was pulling your hair forcing your head back. The mild bit of discomfort from it only added to your lust and made you want to scream for him. He  _wanted_  you to scream for him.

Without warning, he quickly stood up and flipped you over on the bed face first, grabbed your hips and raised them up. Lining himself up, he entered you again sharply, followed by hard and quick thrusts. He slid in and out of you with such ease and with every pass you felt yourself closer to climax. The sound of skin on skin filled the room, along with both of your murmurs of more, harder,  _baby… please_.

He pulled you up, so your back was against him. Jensen reached around you with both arms, one hand on your clit massaging it gently as his other hand played with your nipple. His breath was ragged and hot on your neck, both of you covered in a thin layer of sweat and wreaking of whiskey.

He moaned your name in quiet whispers as he fucked into you, and when his movements became erratic, you knew he was close, and you were unable to hold back any more.

“Fuuuuck! Christ… Jensen… oh my—GOD,” you cried out, unable to hold back.

A guttural growl permeated his lips when he heard you call out his name, and when he felt your walls flutter around him he withdrew quickly knowing he was going to cum. His lips clamped down on your shoulder, muffling his scream as his release coated the comforter beneath you. He gripped you tight against his chest, lingering that way even after he was done.

The two of you were melded together, breathing and just enjoying the moments after an intense shared experience. When you finally felt him peel away, you were more than a little disappointed. He felt so good against your skin, thankfully, he didn’t go far.

“Are you alright?” he asked softly, running a finger along the slick lines of your collarbone.

“Yes,” you sighed, feeling completely satisfied at that moment. “You?”

Jensen snorted a laugh, “Yeah, I’m good. You are a force of nature, woman.”

He moved off the bed, and once you did as well, he tossed aside the soiled layer of bedding and pulled back the sheets for you to lay down. “Care to stay for a while?” he asked, nodding towards the pillows. “I don’t hate the sound of a second performance, after a little rest and maybe some minibar snacks.”

You giggled as you crawled into the king-size bed. “Snacks? Didn’t you just eat a massive steak downstairs? Not to mention a bottle of whiskey?”

Jensen laid down beside you and pulled the covers up just to your hips. His fingers traced down your shoulders and around the curves of your breasts. “What can I say? I worked up an appetite.”

“Well then, if you want to ride this ride again, I guess maybe you should have some snacks,” you teased and wiggled your eyebrows. “Certainly want you to have all your strength.”

“Oh, I’ll have a snack alright. Get over here,” he growled playfully and rolled over on top of you. Instead of immediately enacting the second performance (of which there would be many acts that night) he paused, just hovering over you.

“It was the singing, wasn’t it? Wasn’t the whiskey at all. I got you with the song, right?”

You rolled your eyes and smacked his arm. He ignored you and started singing again but more animated and cornier than before.

“ _You’re as smooth, as Tennessee Whiskey…. You’re as sweet as strawberry wine_ …” he sang, squeezing his eyes tight, and singing out of tune.

“No… oh my God, stop it!” you laughed and though you pretended to be tortured by it, you found yourself loving every second you spent with him.

You didn’t want the night to end. You didn’t want the morning to come and spoil everything. But yet, somewhere deep inside, you knew it would. Somehow.

Fate always has a different plan.


	2. Found in Nashville

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after their drunken night doesn’t exactly go the way Jensen had hoped. Once they part ways, sure to never see each other again, Y/N and Jensen contemplate what the night meant to each of them and seek out their closest friends for some guidance. That’s when one friend decides to take fate into their own hands and give the two a nudge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for @spngenrebingo. Square filled: Chick Flick Moment

The morning light came through the sheer curtains well before you were ready to actually wake up. You felt the bed move beside you, and your hungover brain tried to recapture the hours leading up to putting you, naked, in a stranger’s bed.

As the memories surfaced, you smiled.  _Yes… Jensen_ , you thought and felt an arm slide across your abdomen. The whiskers from his beard tickled your neck as he nuzzled into you, and the silky flesh of his semi-erected cock poked at your rear, as his legs tangled with yours.

“Good morning to you, too,” you rasped, your throat feeling rough and dry from a long night of drinking and sex.

Jensen groaned and then mumbled something that sounded like a good morning. It was hard to tell since his mouth was buried in your hair, but you didn’t mind. You liked how he felt against you. Your stomach growled loudly, leaving him unable to repress a snicker.

“Hungry?”

“A little. You?”

“Ravenous.”

He slowly rolled you over, so you were facing him, his face still soft from sleep. Jensen brushed the hair off your cheek and kissed you sweetly. He pushed himself up, hovering over you, then bent down to kiss your neck down to your breasts. Moving down your body, he positioned himself between your legs and left a lingering kiss on the hood of your sex. Your hands instinctively went into his hair and nudged him down a bit further. He growled with pleasure, and pushed your thighs further apart with his hands, wrapping his arms up and under your ass.

“Best breakfast ever,” he muttered before burying his face in the depths of your thighs.

Jensen used his tongue to taste all of you. He’d done it once the night before, but by that time you’d been worn from all that had come before it, you weren’t able to fully appreciate just how good he was. The harder you gripped his hair, the rougher he became until your legs were shaking from his relentless assault and begging for relief.

He sat up and wiped his face on the corner of the sheet. His devious smile told you he wasn’t done, and you were fine with that. You couldn’t get enough of him, nor he of you. A full night mixed with sex and sleep, and you were left still wanting more the second it was over.

You called him to come towards you with the slow motion of your finger. He obeyed, getting close and kissing you deeply. Your arms wrapped around him, moving his hips down so the tip of his cock dipped into the warmth of your release; allowing him to slip right into you.

Jensen inhaled sharply. “Fuck…” he moaned and gradually began to move in and out of you. No rush now, no desperation. Just slow, measured movements that could eventually drive you mad, but in the best way possible. This wasn’t just sex, this was what people meant when they called it making love.

Jensen laid down some of his weight on top of you, hanging his head into your neck. Your nails clung to the flesh of his back, digging in with each thrust upward as he hit your sweet spot. Your bodies moved together flawlessly, in perfect sync and when he reached his peak, he pulled out but kept kissing you as if it was all that was keeping him alive. He hand was cradling the back of your neck, his thumb extended out and caressing your jaw. When he finally pulled away, grazing his teeth against your lower lip, he gazed down at you with an expression you couldn’t read. It was soft, yet powerful, full of an energy that both excited and scared the shit of you.

_How could two people who didn’t even know each other reach such a level of intimacy?_

“Sorry, I just woke up, felt you next to me and needed to remind myself that last night wasn’t a dream.”

He laid back down next to you but moved over and pulled you out of the way of the soiled sheet. It was the little things like that he’d been doing all night long that stood out to you. Never once, other than the act of sex itself, did he get rough or crude with you. When you weren’t in the middle of it, he was a perfectly sweet gentleman; always making sure you were ok, asking if you needed or wanted anything.

Jensen was generous and kind, but anytime that the lust became too much, he worked overtime to make you feel a way like no one ever had. He was just as intoxicating as the whiskey had been.

“Don’t ever apologize for waking me up like that. You, sir, are a-fucking-mazing.”

Jensen blushed a little and fell onto his back. He laid his arms over his head and nodded for you to come closer. You settled into the crook of his arm and thought to yourself how nicely you seemed to fit next to him.

“Well, I’m glad I could wake you up with a smile. I certainly hope I get the chance to do that again. If you’re game, that is.”

“I wouldn’t hate it.”

“Good,” he sighed happily.

“However, and as much as I have loved being in this bed with you, a shower and some breakfast would be amazing right now.”

You reluctantly pushed yourself up on the bed and he quickly followed. “Whoa, where are you going?” he asked. “I have a shower here. Hell, we can shower together. Then go grab breakfast downstairs.”

“Hotel showers are not big enough for two,” you snickered while crawling over him to get out of bed. He tried to hold you back, but reluctantly let you go. As you were gathering your clothes off the floor, he sat up with the sheet wrapped around his waist.

“Then we can go one at a time, just… don’t leave.” There was a hint of concern in his tone that made you curious.

“Why? I’m just running back to my room. I’m definitely game for breakfast, I just need a shower first and a change of clothes.”

“I can call housekeeping. Ask them to bring your stuff up for you,” he offered but seemed to already know your answer.

“Jensen, I promise, it’s not a big deal. I’ll just run down, take a quick shower and come back up. Then we can go get breakfast, and even go on the distillery tour together if you want. I know you said its business—”

He reached out from the bed, grabbed your waist and pulled you down to sit on his lap. “I do want that, very much. What I don’t want is you to leave.”

“What are you so worried about? Afraid I’ll get lost on my way back? I know where my room is, promise,” you winked and held up Boy Scout salute. “Room 512. Still got my key and everything.” But he didn’t smile. In fact, his face was drawn into concern which made you slightly worried. “Seriously, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know, Y/N. I just got this feeling that if you go right now, you won’t be back. Guess I’m not ready for this to be over yet.”

 _‘This?’_  you thought, ‘ _What is THIS, anyway?’_

“I can’t imagine anything stopping me, Jensen. I really like you, I really like being with you. And I  _really_  want to keep spending time with you. I didn’t expect to share this vacation with anyone, but now that I’ve met you, I don’t want to share it with anyone else.”

Jensen ran his hand through your hair, and gently guided your mouth to his for a kiss. “Ok. Just be quick, huh? I’ll shower and get dressed. Meet you in the lobby in a half hour?”

You nodded and chuckled. “Make it forty-five minutes. Gotta make sure I look good for you.”

“Honey, you’re more beautiful to me completely stripped down with nothing on at all.”

“Perv,” you teased, kissed his cheek and got up off his lap. “I’ll see you soon.”

Jensen watched you get dressed and gather your things from where he was sat on the bed; only getting up and cinching the sheet tighter around him as you got closer to the door. You made sure you had your purse and turned to wave goodbye. You were struck at how sad he looked and suddenly wondered if you  _should_  leave. Brushing it off, you blew him a kiss and headed out to your room.

 

* * *

 

He watched her go and he hated it. If he was being honest, he kind of hated himself more after he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. He looked fifty shades of hungover and exhaled a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

“Jesus,” he grumbled and let the sheet fall to the floor before heading towards the bathroom.

Jensen turned on the shower faucets and let the bathroom steam up before slipping into the shower. Letting the water slip down his back, he rolled out his neck to try and work out the tension that crept in overnight. Not that he minded, it was a damn good night.

He smiled. He liked her. A lot. She was fun and though they didn’t talk about too many overly personal details, she seemed miles apart from the other women he dated. Now that the whiskey had worn off, he wanted to get to know her better.  _Really_  get to know her.

Pressing his hands against the cool tile of the shower, he hung his head and replayed the previous night’s events. He had tried to be cool, take it easy and just have a few drinks with her. But the minute he held her close while dancing and got up close and personal with the scent of her skin, it was like a switch was flipped and he just had to have her.

It hadn’t been just the sex, either. As he went about lathering his body and washing his hair, Jensen tried to pinpoint exactly what he found so intoxicating about her. When he finally washed out the last of the shampoo, he realized… it was everything. He couldn’t get enough of her voice, how she smelled, her laugh, her smile. The way she spoke, and kissed…

“Come on, man. She’s just a girl. Stop acting like a lovesick idiot. It was one damn night.”

He wiped his hand across the foggy mirror and stared at himself for a solid couple minutes. “You need to proceed with caution. Don’t get so wrapped up in something you’re not prepared for. A lot on your plate, buddy. And now I am calling myself, buddy,” he hung his head and shook it slowly, annoyed at himself. “Get your shit together. Get dressed and go have breakfast with a pretty girl. Worry about the rest, later.”

Satisfied with his post-shower pep talk, he tied towel tightly around his waist and went to get dressed.

 

* * *

 

The minute you hit the elevator bank, you whipped out your phone and texted Jill.

           _I’m alive._

                                  Bout time! Was getting worried.

           _Sorry, long nite_

                                  I bet! Worth it?

           _YES. Phone’s gonna die, details forthcoming!_

                       

No sooner did you hit send, did the screen go dark and your phone, lifeless. Stuffing it back into your purse, the elevator arrived, and you went back to your room. Once back in there, you fell onto your bed and just closed your eyes. As you laid there, Jensen’s face floating through your mind; not how he looked last night, but the expression he wore this morning as you were leaving and you suddenly wished you hadn’t left him after all.

He was too good to be true. One perfect night together, and he seemed to want more… he was sexy and sweet, he could make you laugh while simultaneously sweeping you off your feet. He was a gentleman, too. There were so few men left in the world like him, you found it somewhat surprising that one came crashing into your orbit.

“I still cannot believe that happened,” you mused quietly to yourself before sitting up and catching sight of yourself in the mirror. Your hair looked as if it hadn’t seen a brush in days, and faint stains of makeup encased your eyes. “Yikes. This is what he saw this morning… oof.”

You grabbed the remote, flipped on the news for some background noise, and haphazardly tossed it on the nightstand, then continued going about gathering what you needed for a shower. With everything laid out on the still freshly made bed, you finally made your way into the blissfully hot shower, which you enjoyed for a bit longer than you intended too.

You spent most of that time trying to imagine how he would look when you met up with him. Replaying the events of the night before, you were already starting to get turned on again and wondered if he would be up for another round after breakfast.

By the time you stepped out and began drying off, almost all of your requested forty-five minutes had gone by. The bedside clock was flashing twelve so that was of no help. You went for your cell to check the time, remembered it was powerless and grabbed the remote again to see if you could find a channel that had a time stamp on it. As you were standing there in nothing, but a towel tied around you and breezing through channels, you saw a familiar face flash by, and froze.

Clicking back, you stopped again and felt the strength leave your knees. There on the television was Jensen. He looked different, though, a little younger perhaps and clean shaven. But it  _was_  him; there was no mistaking his voice or that smile. All thoughts about the time left and you felt yourself blindly search for the edge of the bed, so you could sit before you fell.

The program played on, and as it ended, another began, you saw the title sequence and the name of the show. You saw his name flash on the bottom of the screen and sat in stunned silence as you processed the fact that the man you spent the night with was much more than a director. Much more.

Slowly, almost as if on auto-pilot, you grabbed your phone again, found its charger and plugged it in. Once it powered back up, you navigated to the browser and began typing in  _Jensen Ross_  and it auto-filled to  _Jensen Ross Ackles_. Your heart stopped.

“Holy shit,” you rasped and plopped back down to the bed. Swallowing thickly, you hit ‘search’ and watched the results come through. What you saw was staggering. This wasn’t just any show or any actor. This was a cult hit that had been on for years and the man you just slept with was one of its’ stars.

You immediately began to feel stupid and chastised yourself for not knowing or putting the pieces together. There wasn’t too much time for television in your life, and while that was true, you still felt like maybe you should have known.

“How could he not say anything, though? I mean…” you trailed off with your thoughts and tried to understand how or why he didn’t tell you when you were having dinner, or even later once you’d gone to bed with him.

A million different scenarios were playing out concurrently, none of which helped to settle the steam of embarrassment and anger that was rising. You couldn’t take your eyes off the screen, the more time that went on, the more you were feeling confused and hurt. Before you knew it, another set of credits were rolling, and the channel was advertising yet another episode during its daily morning marathon of  _Supernatural_.

A knock at the door broke you out of the trace. You knew it would be him. He must have been waiting downstairs a long time, somewhere in the back of your mind you’d considered that. However, at the moment you didn’t care. Right now, you were just feeling hurt and didn’t know what to say to him.

Your hand hovered over the doorknob, debating on whether you should answer. He knocked again, and exhaled slowly, turning the knob even slower.

“Hey,” he said, greeting you with a warm smile that fell the moment he realized you were still in your towel. “Not that I mind this look on you, but, I thought you were coming down to breakfast.”

You didn’t say anything, just stepped aside to give him room to come in. It only took a minute for him to realize what was on the television once he walked in a bit further.

Jensen’s face dropped. “I was gonna tell you over breakfast—”

“Just, stop. I should have known you were too perfect. That there was something… I almost get why you didn’t bring it up at dinner. Or, maybe you just assumed I  _did_  know who you were and just went along with the charade, so I could get a free meal or get you into bed? I—I don’t know. This could have all been acting. Right? That’s your thing… right? You’re an actor.” You could feel yourself starting to spiral, but you couldn’t stop. You felt so many things, it was hard to make sense of anything at that moment.

“Or,  _maybe_ , you liked the idea that I am an idiot and didn’t know who you were… an easier target, maybe? Someone you could have a one-night fling with, without worrying that I might tell a tabloid or something even worse?”

“No, now, that’s not fair,” he said firmly. “Yes, I should have told you. And, yeah… it was nice being with someone who  _didn’t_ know who I was. But it’s not for the reasons you think.”

“It doesn’t matter, Jensen,” you said flatly.

“It matters to me!” he barked, and immediately reigned it in when he saw you squeeze your eyes shut for a moment. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I should have told you when I realized you didn’t know me,” he sighed, his tone went softer, “Can you forgive me?”

“I think you should just go,” you replied quietly and looked down at the floor, only now realizing you were still just in your towel. Despite how you’d just spent the night with him, you were suddenly very self-conscious and wanted him to leave.

“Y/N, I like you. I don’t want this to end—”

You shook your end and took a step back. “I really need you to leave right now, please.”

He saw something in your face that caused him to relent without a fight. “Alright. Alright, I’ll go. But, please, call me upstairs before you leave, ok? I wanna talk about this.”

You didn’t say anything as you walked around to the furthest side of the bed and waited for him to leave.

“For what it’s worth, last night meant a lot. I really hope you change your mind and come to find me whenever it is you feel ready too.” With that, he left the room, guiding the door shut so it didn’t slam. When you heard the soft click of the handle letting go, you threw yourself onto the bed and cried.

 

* * *

 

The car pulled up in front of the widespread ranch of your best friend’s home. The huge wrap around porch was all decked out in Autumn decorations which would normally make you feel happy, but not after what had just happened in Lynchburg. Instead of going straight home after you picked yourself up from crying, you packed up, checked out early and headed straight for Jill’s house.

Jensen had left a note with the desk clerk for you, but you didn’t open it. You considered throwing it away but knew your emotions were running high and decided to just stuff it deep into your suitcase. Some time with your oldest friend was just what you needed to talk everything out and get another opinion on everything that happened.

Jill greeted you with open arms and immediately brought you into the study where she had a fire blazing in the fireplace and a cup of hot chocolate in your hands within minutes. She sat silently and listened to you lay out everything that transpired over the course of your evening with Jensen. When you arrived at the moment when you called her crying, she sat back against the couch and expelled a breath.

“I am speechless. I mean… I knew you’d come back with a story but damn, woman.”

You raised your brows and nodded, “Tell me about it.”

“So, what now? Never see him again? Do you really,  _really_  believe that he was in any way being disingenuous with his interest in you?

“I don’t know. I don’t want to think so, but I can’t get past how stupid I feel to even think about it. I feel dumb and oblivious. That’s on me.”

“Stop. You’re not going to know every single television and movie star in the world, are you? Especially when that sort of thing isn’t in your wheelhouse. You’ve never followed Hollywood or kept up with tv. So, why are you being so hard on yourself?”

“I don’t know!” you shouted, the frustration building finally pouring out. “Why couldn’t he  _just_  have been a director? Why did he have to be  _this_ , too?”

“So that’s what it is? It’s not that he didn’t tell you what he did, it’s his actual profession that bothers you most?”

“I suddenly feel like you should be over there with a clipboard and I should be paying you by the hour,” you joked, trying to take out the sting out of the conversation.

“Oh sweetie, you’ve been raking up a bill with me for years. Hush now, let the grown-up talk.”

You rolled your eyes and flashed her the middle finger while sipping at your hot chocolate.

“I’m being serious, Y/N. If it is the fact that he is a well-known television star, you have to ask yourself why that bothers you. And honestly, none of this is relevant if there isn’t a reason to look deeper.”

You looked at her curiously, not fully catching her meaning.

Jill got up from her spot on the couch, sat right next to you and patted your knee. “If you truly never want to see him again, then why even continue having this crisis? Let it go and move on.  _But_ , if you can’t do that, the question you really need to ask is, are there feelings here? So what if it was a drunk night hook up? The real deal could stem from that. Why not? From what you told me, I think there’s a very good chance that he’s feeling a certain kinda way and you may be, possibly, overreacted and should give the guy a break.”

“I hate you,” you sighed wearily and rested your head on her shoulder.

“I know,” she tutted and rested her head back against yours. “I know.”

For the next couple days, you debated on doing any more research on him, or even opening his note. You tried to convince yourself he was nothing more than a one-night stand and because he was who he was, could never be anything more. There was no way you could be some tv star’s girlfriend; that wasn’t your life. So better to just break ties now, regardless of the feelings you were having.

After all, they couldn’t be real, could they?

 

* * *

 

Two weeks after Lynchburg, Jensen finally arrived back in Vancouver. The break did him good, he needed to regroup before heading back to work. Having these smaller, more frequent breaks were necessary for both him and Jared, but he was happy to be back in his home away from home.

Jared had just gotten into town the night before and they agreed to meet up for a few beers at their favorite local pub. The air was chilly as the sun dipped down into the west, setting dust loose across Vancouver. Jensen pulled up the zipper on his coat as the brisk breeze hit his face once he exited the Jeep and headed into the bar.

He saw his best friend sat at the far corner spot and raised a hand in greeting. They had a brief and welcoming embrace before settling onto their stools.

“Been a while, man. How was the flight back?”

“Bumpy, but alright,” Jensen replied and waved down the bartender. “Yours?”

“Same. Got in late, crashed right away.”

The guy behind the bar took their orders and went about getting their beer. Jared chatted on idly about his few weeks off and Jensen listened intently, asking about Gen and the kids, but the expression he wore was easily deciphered by his best friend.  

“Alright, spill it,” Jared said and placed down a tip on the bar once the drinks were delivered.

“Spill what?”

“Don’t be obtuse. What’s going on with you?”

Jensen rolled his eyes and took a swig from his icy mug. A crowd of people burst through the pub door and circled around to near where they were sat. He noticed an empty booth right next to the end of the bar and motioned for them to move over there. The moment they did, the crowd filled in their places at the bar now obscuring any view of the bartender.

“Come on man, talk to me,” Jared nudged.

Jensen was about to open his mouth, but two girls approached them, giggling and asking for their respective autographs. They obliged the girls and thanked them for being fans. Once they walked away, Jensen turned back to Jared and just shook his head.

“Nothing, I’m fine.”

“You’re full of shit is what you are. I know it’s a bit loud in here, but come on, tell me what’s stirring the pot?”

“Ok, fine.” Jensen leaned forward a bit and noticed another person approaching the table. The guy bypassed their table went and leaned against the wall, talking to one of the people that took their spot at the bar. When he was certain they wouldn’t be bothered again, he continued, “… you remember when I said I had to reschedule on Lynchburg because they were holding off on tours due to maintenance?”

Jared nodded and shrugged. “Yeah, what about it?”

“I lied. I left early cause I did something stupid.”

Jared gave him a chastising look. “What? How stupid?”

“I met a girl…”

“And?” Jared asked a little nervously.

“And, I blew it.”

Jared was taken aback and sat up straighter in the booth. “You what? You blew it? What does that mean?”

“It means, I met a girl, liked her  _a lot_ , and I blew it with her in a matter of about fifteen hours. Gotta be a new record, right?”

“What the hell happened?”

“Doesn’t matter now, she won’t talk to me.”

“Well, I think it  _does_  matter, Jay. I haven’t talked to you, really, in two weeks. That alone is just straight up weird. Then, when we finally get a night to hang out, catch up, you can barely focus ‘cause you’re hung up on a girl you hung out with for less than one day? In this case dude, details matter. So, start at the beginning and leave no stone unturned.”

“You may regret that,” Jensen teased and raised his beer to his lips with a smirk.

Jared sighed. “Part of me already does.”

“The gist of it all is… I liked her. She was different, man,” Jensen paused, his face softening at the memory of her, “she was the kind of girl that makes you ask yourself, is this the girl I could spend forever with. But she’s gone now. Got pissed at me and took off. She’s my Cinderella, only she forgot to drop a slipper or something. I really think we could’ve been something special.”

Jared offered him a sympathetic smile and was about to reply when the guy leaning against the wall right near the booth gasped excitedly. They both looked at him curiously and with a bit more than a little frustration.

“Hey, let’s get out of here, huh? Talk more back at the apartment,” Jared suggested and swallowed a good amount of his beer.

“Yeah, good idea. This place just got super crowded and honestly, I can’t deal with it right now.”

They left the mugs on the table and made a quick exit to the Jeep parked out front. Once inside they had the driver take them back to Jensen’s apartment for a quieter evening. After getting settled in, they ordered some food and Jensen grabbed two bottles from the fridge, snapped them both open and handed one to Jared.

He told him the whole story, from finding her at his table to her asking him to leave the next morning. Jared listened intently, watching Jensen’s body language and interpreting his friend’s tone and expressions as he talked. When he was done, Jared leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looked Jensen right in the eyes.

“Dude, you’re fucked,” he chuckled and shook his head. “If you could have seen yourself talk about this girl.”

“I wasn’t looking for that to happen. I was perfectly content that night just to eat and go to bed. That had been the plan.”

“So now what?”

“Now, nothing. I left my info for her at the front desk, but I don’t know if she got it. Hell, she could’ve thrown it out the second they handed it to her. I only know her last name because the desk clerk mentioned it when I asked to leave the note for her.”

“So, you have a first and last name, do you not know how the internet works?” Jared teased again earning him a dirty look.

“Yes, I know how the internet works,” he retorted sarcastically, “I’ve looked, alright. After I left Tennessee I went back home to see my folks for a bit. Just hung out, tried to clear my head. After a couple days I got curious and looked her up, couldn’t find any online profiles anywhere that seemed to match hers. It almost feels like she didn’t actually exist.”

“And she took off just because she felt like you lied about who you were and what you do.”

Jensen nodded. “Yup. Wouldn’t really let me explain, just didn’t want to talk about it,” he frowned. “I tried to say screw it, it was what it was… a night of great sex and a no strings attached departure the next day. Can’t ask for more than that, right?”

“Except…?”

“Except that it didn’t work and all I do is think and wonder about her.”

“The sex was that good?”

Jensen gave him the look that said,  _dude, you don’t even know._  “But that’s not all it was. Sure, the first time or two was purely…” he gestured vaguely, and Jared nodded in understanding. “But then, I don’t know, it wasn’t. It was deeper.”

“Dude,” Jared laughed again, “as I said before, you’re fucked.”

“Thanks, thanks for that. So, tell me, oh wise one, what now?”

“Well, clearly you have more than casual feelings about this girl, so I think you have to do whatever you can do to find her. And, if I can help, you know I will.”

Jensen smiled humbly, “I appreciate that I do.”

The doorbell buzzed, signaling the arrival of their food. Jared stood up and went to retrieve it while Jensen worked on his second beer of the night, Y/N fresh in his mind as she usually was these days. He missed her. That was the hardest part, how much he just wanted to see and talk to her again; how badly he wanted to kiss her again.

He just hoped that he’d get the chance to do one of those again, someday.

 

* * *

 

A month had gone by since that weekend in Lynchburg, and nothing really felt good. Your luggage was still sitting waiting to be unpacked, which you’d been avoiding solely so you didn’t have to face Jensen’s note or how stupid you felt about your overreaction ended everything so abruptly.

When you finally worked up the courage to do so, you slowly unzipped the lid and flipped it open. Sorting out the clothes into piles, you began to feel a little nervous that you couldn’t find the paper. By the time you reached the shoes, you were tossing things out, left and right feeling slightly desperate that it was nowhere to be seen.

You looked through everything several times and when you realized it was gone, you felt an enormous wave of sadness come over you. The realization that you’d never know what his last words were, or if he included his number, hit you hard.

You’d already spent the last couple of weeks thinking about him non-stop. Anytime you pushed his memory away, it came back with a vengeance. Jensen was in your dreams, interrupting your work days, and intruded on you while in the shower. The worst, though, was in those moments right before sleep when you laid down at night. He’d linger there, hovering over you so close sometimes you imagined the warmth of him beside you.

“This is my own fucking fault,” you whined to the empty room, trying not to cry. “My own damn fault. I should have just opened it right there. I should have just let him explain and not been so crazy about it.”

Once again, you called Jill. She’d have something sarcastic to say, and you’d laugh, but somehow you knew it would help. She picked up on the third ring, but when you explained what happened, she wasn’t sarcastic at all. In fact, she was beyond sympathetic and eager to help you feel better.

“Remember when I mentioned taking a trip? Well, screw it, let’s go now to get your mind off everything. I have a writer’s convention I have to attend in Nashville. Come with me. I know its not tropical, but we can have a damn good time. What do you say?”

It only took you a second to agree and she was ecstatic. “This will be fun! We go next weekend, ok? Pack casual, comfortable and some cute stuff, too. I promise this is going to be a great time.”

When you ended the call, you reluctantly went back to cleaning up and came across the shirt you were wearing the night you met Jensen. You brought it to your nose, and you could still smell traces of his cologne mixed with a hint of whiskey. Sitting on the edge of your bed, you held onto the garment closely and squeezed your eyes shut. You pictured him hovering over you, smiling like a fool and singing the lines to Tennessee Whiskey, and how he hummed along to Angel Eyes while you danced. How could you have seen him that way, and then thought for one second how any of what you shared with him had been forced.

You wished you could have the chance to dance with him again. Mostly, you just wanted the opportunity to apologize and kiss him one more time.

 

* * *

 

You and Jill arrived in Nashville early on a Saturday morning. Once you got to the hotel and checked in, you had a flash of Deja vu as you rode the elevator and got settled into your room.

It felt like Lynchburg all over again. Your stomach was rumbling, and you craved a stiff drink. You suggested finding a place to get both, and that’s when she sat down on her bed and asked you to sit down across from her.

You did so, cautiously, suddenly nervous about what was happening. “You’re sort of freaking me out, what the hell is going on?”

“Please don’t be mad at me…” she said, her voice very serious and calm. “I did something shitty, but with good reason. So, just promise me you’ll hear me out before you get mad.”

“Alright…”

“I lied to you. We aren’t here for a writer’s conference. There’s a fan convention in Nashville this weekend for Supernatural and Jensen is going to be there. They have them all over the country and I figured depending on when you were ready to face all this, I would bring you to one and we could do it together.”

“So, you brought me here to see him on purpose? Are you trying to murder me?”

“No,” she laughed and switched beds to sit next to you. “I’m trying to help you get out of your own way. He  _wants_ to see you!”

You snorted a laugh in disbelief. “And you know this how?”

Jill went to her suitcase and retrieved a popular entertainment magazine. Flipping towards the back, she folded it over and held it out to you. “I was in the bookstore the other day looking for a trade magazine for the old man. He’s rebuilding the bike and wanted some new parts, anyway… I saw this sitting there and saw your boyfriend’s name on the cover…”

You flashed her a sarcastic look, but she ignored you and continued.

“Well, lo and behold what do I see while flipping around? This. Look down at the gossip section there. Right there, in black and white… read it.” She tapped her finger and you read the passage.

> _**“The one that got away?…** _
> 
> _**…One of our reporters was in a popular Vancouver nightclub a few nights ago, when he spotted the infamous J2 from Supernatural conversing over a few beers.** _
> 
> _**Wanna know what one Winchester said to the other?** _
> 
> _**So do we! Unfortunately, they left before we could get a real scoop, but from what our guy heard, it appears the very single Jensen Ackles has his own personal Cinderella story! Met the perfect girl, but alas, she got away! How sad! He was very clearly overheard telling Jared, that “…She’s my Cinderella. I really think we could’ve been something special…” Right after that, the pair took off in a hurry, surely to carry on that conversation in a more private setting! So, come on, Cinderella! Make yourself known!”** _

The magazine slowly fell from your hand and to the floor with a whoosh. You looked up at Jill who was now wearing a satisfied smirk.

“You can be mad if you want. BUT, remember that I know you. If I told you any of this while back home, I would never have gotten you to come with me. You need to be here. Even if you don’t talk to him now. You needed to this and see him in his element in the area that scares you the most. See if you can handle it. Then, talk to him if you choose too. You owe it to yourself to find out if you could handle this and him.”

She bent down and picked up the magazine, tossed it on top of your suitcase and without saying another word, quietly left the room.

You picked it up and read it again. Then again, and then one more time. Shaking your head, you threw it on her bed and roughly opened your suitcase, throwing the lid open with force. From inside the lining of the lid, a small white piece of paper was poking through a rip in the fabric. Your heart stopped, but your hand reached out for it and knew immediately what it was.

The missing note.

You ripped the envelope from its hiding place and opened it quickly, hands trembling. Inside was one folded piece of paper that read:

> _Y/N,_
> 
> _I’m sorry if you feel like I deceived you. It wasn’t with the intent to hurt you in any way. Last night was not something I will ever regret. I hope one day you believe that and maybe want to see where this could go. If not, just know you’re not someone I’ll ever be able to forget. Ever._
> 
> _Always,_
> 
> _-J._

Beneath his name was a phone number and a small heart. You clutched it close to your chest and exhaled unevenly. You knew now that you made a mistake that he truly was on the level. But was it too late? It had been a month, and that magazine snippet was at least a week old. Maybe he’d moved on, met someone else. Maybe he’s over it, and you… maybe, maybe, maybe. The thoughts were swirling like that they did the morning after you met him, but you cut them off immediately and refused to listen to their uncertainty.

You decided you needed to see him and considered calling him right then. But you thought about what Jill said, and she was right. You wanted to just be able to see him again, experience a little of his world first before letting him know you were in town.

When Jill returned, she explained due to the last-minute nature of the trip, she could only get tickets into Sunday’s panels. She heard about the hotel bar having Karaoke and that some of the talent there come down to sing along. So, you started down there, hoping to catch sight of Jensen. Though he never made an appearance, you and Jill were able to chat up some super fans and get to hear their impressions on both the characters of the show and actors, including Jensen.

Being among his show’s fans, you saw his face everywhere. On shirts, on bags, tattoos—it was overwhelming. But then you saw how people talked about him, his character, the show itself, his co-stars, and the overwhelming anxiety morphed into overwhelming adoration. How you could ever think this man had taken advantage of you… it made you feel ridiculous.

The night wore on and there was no sign of Jensen. But you certainly heard plenty of people talking about him and the concert he’d been a part of earlier that afternoon. They were lucky enough to have been in the panel room for it and excitedly whipped out her phone to share the video.

You sat up and watched the video streaming from the girls’ phone. Your heart nearly stopping when you saw Jensen on stage with the band.

“This is from today?” you asked, the words nearly catching in your throat.

“Mhm,” the girl said, “they were just playing around, and Jensen came out for a few songs. I cannot believe he sang Whiskey, I nearly died!”

“Whiskey?” you asked curiously.

 

“Tennessee Whiskey, have you heard him sing it? It’s pure heaven,” she sighed dreamily and handed you her phone. “Here, experience it for yourself!”

You hit play and Jill closed in on you to watch, too. You watched his face as he shared the song with a couple other guys. Their arrangement was beautiful, and anytime Jensen opened his mouth to sing, you wanted to cry. He looked so sad, so out of sorts, but still managed to sing it so wonderfully.  You thanked her and handed the phone back to the girl before it was even over, to try and hide the swell of emotion that wanted to wash you away.

When you left the bar that night, you took one look at her and felt the weight of regret sitting heavily on your chest. “Jill, I fucked up, bad.”

“No, you didn’t. You had a reaction and that makes you human. Come on, let’s go back, get some sleep and tomorrow you’ll get to actually see him again.”

 

* * *

 

The following afternoon, you and Jill had taken a couple seats in the back of the large auditorium where the panel stage was. She thought you should move closer, you wanted to be able to stay invisible. But as the theater filled up, your options became limited, so you stayed where you were.  

Suddenly the lights dimmed, and music played over the loudspeaker. The panel was starting, and you wanted to run away again, but didn’t. Forcing yourself to stay put, you waited with bated breath through the introductions as the room erupted into screams and applause.

Then, there he was. Less than a hundred feet in front of you, Jensen was on stage, smiling and waving at the crowd. When he and his co-star started talking, the whole room went silent and hung on every word they said. You sat, frozen, watching the panel take place, unable to take your eyes off him. He was gregarious in his storytelling and engaging with his partner on stage and the room was enamored.

On the aisle next to you, you saw people lining up at microphone stands, and you knew what you needed to do.

“Wish me luck,” you whispered.

“What are you doing?” she asked in an excited whisper.

“I have a question to ask,” you replied with a shrug and turned to go and get in line.

The volunteer cut the line off right after you claimed a spot. You tried to figure out what you wanted to say, and how you wanted to say it. Did you just ask a vague question and hope he recognizes you, just come right out and say hello?

It felt like an eternity waiting, as each person came and went; your nerves were growing to the point of being terrified. Taking slow, deep breathes, you tried to calm yourself until you suddenly found yourself next in line.

A ripple of laughter went through the crowd as Jared finished answering the last question. There was a similar line on the other side of the room, so the attention was drawn that way while they asked whatever they were going to ask, and you were ushered to the mic on your side.

“Ready, honey?” the girl asked as she adjusted your mic to better fit your height.

“Mhm, just nervous.”

“Don’t be, Jensen and Jared are just sweethearts,” she cooed proudly and turned her attention back to the stage just as Jared looked your way and asked for the next question.

In that split second, you realized there was only one question that needed to be asked. You drew in a very shaky, but deep breath and exhaled slowly before speaking again.

“Hi, I’m Y/N L/N, and my question is for Jensen,” you paused and tried to gauge his reaction.

His eyes lit up at the sound of your name, spoken in your voice. “Ye—Yes?” he replied, his tone half disbelief, half hopeful, his hand shielding his eyes from the lights, trying to get a better look in your direction.

“On your show, well, I was wondering… does Dean believe in second chances? I mean, say someone overreacted to something, and they made a rash decision. Would you, would he, forgive them if they realized how wrong they were? You know, if they apologized, think about giving them another chance?”

He tossed a glance to Jared, who was watching him uncertainly. Jensen mouthed something to him off mic, and Jared looked your way, wide-eyed with surprise.

“Um,” Jensen started, and stopped, unsure of what to say.

“If this person realizes how stupid they were, how much they overreacted… could you, possibly consider forgiving them?” you asked again and started nervously chewing on your bottom lip.

Jared scrambled to find an answer to make the various rumblings in the crowd, die down.

“Well, I think that there are big themes of forgiveness in the show, for sure. Some stories that require forgiveness. Right, Jensen?”

He cleared his throat, his eyes fixed on you from across the ballroom. “Uh, yeah, Jared’s right. Sometimes even when you don’t think it’s going to happen, um, yeah, second chances are…” he trailed off, unable to finish his thought, and turned his back on the crowd to compose himself.

You were suddenly worried this was all wrong. Maybe you should have just kept trying to call him and not ambushed him in this setting. The longer he had his back to the crowd, the louder their murmuring grew and the more you were sure he was going to be angry at you for doing it this way. But, you were in this now though, there was no going back.

Jensen put his mic down on his stool and leaned over to whisper something in Jared’s ear. He went to walk off stage and paused. You could hear Jared start addressing the crowd but didn’t actually hear what he was saying. All your focus was on Jensen and where he was going. He appeared as if he was going to exit stage left but stopped right before the edge of the curtain.

Was this happening, seriously? Now?!?

Jensen knew all the eyes in the room were on him, especially hers. The second he heard her voice, then her name, his heart started pounding. She was here, right there. The girl that had haunted his thoughts for the past month finally decided to come find him.

He wanted to be angry. He wanted to tell her this was not the place or time, but the truth was, it didn’t matter. He had tried to answer her question, but a quick rise of emotion prevented him from doing that. Jared covered while he tried to recoup, but he needed more another minute.

Jensen was going to step off stage, just to catch his breath. But from the corner of his eye, he could see her standing there, half lit by the stage’s illumination and even more beautiful then she was that night.

He didn’t care about the audience. He didn’t care that he was working, he just needed her.

That’s when everything changed. It somehow happened both in slow motion and incredibly quick. Instead of disappearing behind the curtain, Jensen turned to face the room and hopped off the stage. In a matter of a few long-stride steps, he was standing in front of you, his arms outstretched and grabbing you. He wrapped his arms around your waist, picking your feet up off the ground and embracing you tightly.

Jensen didn’t wait for you to say anything, nor did he care that hundreds of people were watching. He pulled back from you just enough to search your face intensely before kissing you, in front of an auditorium full of his fans. An audible gasp rang through the crowd, followed by another eruption of whistles and screams. Even Jared, unable to hide his happiness, put his mic down, stood up and started clapping.

You couldn’t help but smile against his lips. “Does that mean you forgive me?” you asked and kissed him back one more time.

“No,” he said with a smirk, “but it’s a start. You can make the rest up to me later.”

Another wave of catcalls and screams broke out through the audience, and the volunteer rushed over, moving the mic stand out of the way.

“Let’s just move this, shall we,” she muttered and moved back from where you were.

The realization of what just transpired hit you hard, and your face flushed bright red. Camera flashes were going off all around you and Jensen did his best to try and shield you from it.

“Come on,” he whispered and ushered you back towards the stage. You followed him up the small set of stairs and brought you backstage where there was a lot more privacy. The security guards that were there, cleared a small area for you two and Jensen told you to stay put. “I will be right back, don’t you go anywhere.”

He went to go back out on stage but instead turned back towards you. His expression was serious; furrowed brow and determination set into his jaw. He grabbed both of your cheeks with his hand and kissed you again, primally, and with zero hesitation. His hands traveled down your neck and to your shoulders, down the lines of your sides and falling to your hips. A growl rolled through his chest and he finally freed your lips from his.

“I cannot believe you’re here,” he rasped, leaning his forehead against yours. “I heard your voice and thought you were a mirage. But you’re here.”

“I’m so sorry I didn’t hear you that day, that I didn’t give you a chance… I was so stupid.”

“Doesn’t matter. You’re here now.”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d still want me, especially not after how I overreacted,” you hung your head, still reeling from the embarrassment of it all.

Jensen lifted your chin with his finger. “I told you that day, I wasn’t ready for this to be over.”

“I’m not either.”

“Good,” he said, and kissed you again, this time softly. “I have to go back out there, but—”

“I’ll be here, right here,” you promised, crossing your heart.

“You stay put. I’m not done with you, yet.”

You nodded, “Promise.”

Jensen went back out on stage and there was another burst of the crowd. You watched from the sidelines as he fielded another question or two from the other side, both of which were directly related to what just happened. He tried to sidestep them but realized it would be impossible and offered them an animated shrug and wink.

The panel wrapped up shortly after that, and just as they came back around to you. After Jensen introduced you to Jared, he excused himself to give you two a bit of much-needed privacy.

“I don’t even know where to begin,” you admitted coolly, yet suddenly felt nervous around him.

“We can start with dinner. Maybe some whiskey,” he suggested and smiled. “I don’t care what we do, as long as it involves both of us.”

“Dinner is good. Maybe Jill and Jared could join us? I know she’s dying to meet you both.”

“That’s your author friend, right?” he asked, trying to suppress his excitement.

“It is.”

“Yeah, that’s perfect. I’m reading her new one and I’m just… wow. That woman knows her stuff.”

“She will be happy to discuss that with you, I’m sure,” you teased. “Jensen, you never really did answer my question though. Can you forget that I asked you to go and then never called?”

“Already done. I told you to come to find me when you were ready, and you did. From here on out, whatever happens, we’ll figure it out together.”

Before you could say another word, his mouth was pressing down on yours, his hands on your hips and walking you back towards a dark corner of the room. “Stay with me tonight,” he mumbled between kissing your lips and the side of your neck.

You pulled his head up from your neck and looked deeply into his eyes. “Try and stop me.”

“Good, Jill’s book gave me some great ideas and I think now is the perfect time to see if they hold up.”

“Bless that woman and her smut,” you laughed as Jensen finally released you from his grip, took your hand, and walked you towards a brand new kind of life.


	3. Forever in Vancouver pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This full chapter will have to be broken into smaller pieces so AO3 actually lets it publish. 
> 
> Summary: Six months into their relationship, it was hard finding time together. But when they finally do, will it be everything they hoped?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 of 3

The plane bounced roughly down the tarmac and while that normally would have been enough to set your nerves on fire, today it didn’t bother you one bit. It didn’t, because it meant you were home.

Sort of.

It wasn’t your home, but you would be back in Vancouver where Jensen was, and for you, that was even better. It had only been about six months since Nashville and in that time you and Jensen tried to spend as much time together as possible. Stolen weekends here and there. Long nights of driving to meet up with him at a con, or him buying you a ticket to fly out to Vancouver for one night, then back the next day.

It was fun and exciting, and very exhausting. You could see the toll all the traveling was taking on him. You meet him whenever you could, but you had your own career and life to keep up with. Finding a way to make it successful had been trying, but when you had time together, it was easy to remember why it was worth it.

This was the longest stretch you’d gone without seeing each other. He was on the tail end of a three week stretch of a tight filming schedule, two separate interviews and one con weekend was thrown into the mix. When he had a schedule like that, those were the weeks when there was barely a phone call to be had between you and you found yourself missing him more than usual.

Jill’s book was finished and edited, so she kept her promise and booked a five-day vacation at one of the most beautiful resorts that the Maldives had to offer. Jensen was going to be knee-deep in filming again as they neared closer to finishing the season, so you gathered up your vacation time and decided to take a nice long trip. Start off the first part with your best friend and wrap it up in Vancouver with Jensen.

He just didn’t know about it.

You told him you’d be gone for two weeks, to which he pouted like a child, but he wanted you to go and have a good time. Knowing you were headed to him after a couple of days, you started to worry that surprising him wouldn’t be a good idea. In a complete panic, you texted Jared and ran the idea by him. He, however, thought it was a perfect idea.

Jill’s connecting flight wasn’t until late the following day so she would spend the time with you and Jensen, then you’d have him all to yourself for a full week; a notion that both excited and scared you. As the plane finally rolled to a stop, you whipped out your phone and immediately texted Jared.

            _Just landed. Did you spill the beans yet?_

Where’s the trust? I know how to keep a secret.

            _Lol, just checking. Deplaning soon, gonna grab a cab and head to J’s_

Already done. Driver should be there waiting. Text me when you find em.

            _You’re the best! Thanks, Jar!_

Just don’t answer the door wrapped in cellophane or anything, I’ll be coming back with him.

            _Fine. But there go my plans…_

….I’m already regretting this.

            _Cya soon!_

Giggling to yourself, you put your phone away and turned to wake Jill to let her know you’d arrived.

After getting off the plane and grabbing your luggage, you easily found the driver Jared had sent and were on your way to Jensen’s apartment. The ride was longer than usual getting through traffic, so you and Jill were flipping through the pictures you took on your trip.

“You gotta text me that one now, I wanna send it to Filip,” Jill said and took the phone out of your hand, taking it upon herself to do so. When she opened your texts, she saw the ones from Jared.

“You told Jared you were coming?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure if I should surprise him or not. I know his schedule’s been crazy and didn’t want to get in the way.”

“Get in the way?” she asked, sitting up a little straighter in her seat. “Why would you be in the way? Has he ever made you—”

“No… easy tiger. I just meant that because it’s last minute and I am surprising him… the man keeps a schedule. He’s got a lot going on and I didn’t want him to feel pressured to have to cancel anything or rearrange anything. That’s why I checked with Jared.”

Jill settled back into her seat and went back to sending the photo to herself, then returned your phone. “Sorry, didn’t mean to jump ugly, but you know, you are family to me and I have to make sure this man is worth all the trouble and traveling to see each other.”

“He’s worth it,” you smiled and felt your heart fill at knowing you were going to see him soon.

“So, things are good?”

“Yeah, things are good.”

“Is it getting serious?”

You scowled at her. “What’s with the interrogation all of a sudden?”

She shrugged. “I can see how you feel about him just as the sheer mention of his name. What I wanna know is, does he feel the same way about you?”

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat. The truth was, you didn’t know how to answer her. Your feelings for Jensen were both exhilarating and confusing, with a big ole side of scary as hell. You couldn’t imagine what his feelings may be for you, and immediately pushed the thoughts away whenever you asked yourself the same thing. The answer was too uncertain to face.

“I don’t know and that’s the truth. We have fun when we’re together, he calls me when we’re not. Texts me a lot… nice messages, cute selfies, leaves me voicemails. But, there’s been no declarations of love. Which, let me just say before you jump to assumptions, I am  _fine_  with. I like how things are. I’m just rolling with it for as long as it lasts.” You were half lying to yourself, and you were pretty sure she picked up on it.

“Do you want it to last?”

“Oh, look! We’re here,” you exclaimed, exaggerating your excitement to hopefully change the subject.

“Did you start watching the show yet?” she asked, ignoring your attempt to wrap it up.

You sighed and took a moment before responding. It wasn’t the first time she’d asked and certainly wouldn’t be the last time. “No. Not yet.”

“How come?”

“Because…”

“Because why?”

“I feel like I am in the Principal’s office here, will you stop?”

“I just want to know why you haven’t watched it yet. One, its damn good. Two, he’s your guy. Don’t you want to see him in action?”

“I did. The day I watched it in the hotel room, remember? Then again at the convention, it was everywhere.”

Jill pursed her lips and exhaled deeply. “That’s not the same thing and you know it. So, why not spare us both the long, drawn-out process of me painfully extracting an answer, and just tell me about the real, deep down rationalization you’ve convinced yourself of?”

“Fine. Because… it means that I’m invested. It means that I will have more imagery of him, hear his voice more than I already do. Then when it ends—”

“ _When_  it ends? I now repeat my earlier question… do you  _want_  it to last? Or are you just riding out a good time?”

You snorted a frustrated sigh and felt a bit of relief when the car came to a stop in front of his apartment building. “I don’t know,” you said quietly with your hand hovering over the door handle. “I don’t know yet.” Opening the door, you climbed out and walked around to get your bags from the trunk. Jill followed and didn’t bring it up again for the time being.

 

* * *

 

“All I want to do is go home and sleep,” Jensen groaned and rubbed a hand across his eyes and down his stubble. He laid his head against the headrest and settled into the seat. “This week cannot end soon enough.”

“Almost over, brother,” Jared tried to reassure him with a slap on the knee and without looking up from his phone.

“Thank God. You headed home this week?”

“Yeah, for a few days. You?”

“Nah. Might as well stay here. My folks are on vacation, Y/N’s off somewhere with Jill. Probably just going to find my sweatpants and Netflix some stuff.”

“How is Y/N? Things going alright?”

“Yeah, great. Why?”

Jared shrugged and finally tucked his phone away. “Curious. Don’t hear too much about her these days. Wondering if there was trouble in paradise.”

Jensen chuckled wearily. “No, no trouble, just been tough trying to get some time together. You know?”

Jared nodded sympathetically. “I do. But when Y'all are together, things are good, right?”

“Yeah man, I have zero complaints. Except that she lives two thousand miles away.”

“That’s a tough break, man. But you guys will figure it out. I mean, she seems pretty into you. God only knows why…”

Jensen was too tired to even glare at him properly and just shook his head before resting it against the window. “Wake me up when we’re home.”

A little while later, the car pulled up to the curb and Jared backhanded Jensen’s chest. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty, we’re here.”

Groggily pulling himself from the car, Jensen and Jared went inside and rode the elevator up to his apartment on the top floor. As they approached the door, Jensen heard the music from inside. He stopped outside the door, his hand hovering over the knob.

“You hear that?” he asked, slowly turning to Jared. “Sounds like… Zeppelin.”

Jared frowned and shrugged, trying to hide the grin that wanted to spread out. “I dunno man, let’s check it out.”

Jensen narrowed his eyes at his best friend and realized that whatever was going on, Jared was one hundred percent apart of it. Thinking that his folks, or even his sister, had come for a surprise visit, he opened the door expecting to be bombarded with a barrage of affection and questions from a family member.

“Hello?” Jensen called out when he walked through the foyer and no one was there to greet him. “Mom? Dad?”

“Nope, sorry Cowboy, just me,” he heard from the staircase beside him. There, descending the stairs, tanned and gorgeous, wearing a long flowing yellow sundress covered in small green petals, was Y/N.

The unexpected sight of her gave him a rush of adrenaline that he would’ve previously denied existed. Feelings of exhaustion and hunger faded as he bolted towards her. She bounced down the last few steps and flung herself into his arms, laughing.

Jensen wrapped his arms around her, drawing in a deep breath of her skin, the familiar notes of her lotion tickling his nostrils and instantaneously causing him to want her.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his face still buried in her neck. Slowly, he let her slide to the floor and held her at arm’s length so he could prove to himself she was really there.

“We were only going to the resort for a week, then I figured I’d surprise you. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Mind? Seriously? This is the best ever…” Jensen turned and pointed a finger at Jared, “and you knew, didn’t you?”

“I did,” he beamed, proud of himself for keeping the secret.

“I’m here too, by the way,” Jill’s voice called from the living room as she made her way towards the stairs.

“My favorite author in the whole wide world!” Jensen exclaimed and pulled her into a fierce embrace. Once he finally let her go, Jared extended a warm welcome and noticed the intense looks being passed between Y/N and his best friend.

“Jill whatcha say we give these crazy kids a few minutes, while you and I go through all Jay’s takeout menus, find the most expensive things to have delivered. Then charge it all to his accounts,” Jared offered his elbow out for her to take and she did so with a chuckle.

“Oh, Jared, you sure do know the way to this woman’s heart,” she cooed as they took their leave towards the living room.

Once they were gone, Jensen didn’t hesitate, he grabbed Y/N’s face gently, but kissed her ferociously. “Three weeks is way too long,” he whined between coming up for air and kissing her. “Way too fucking long.”

She draped her arms loosely on his shoulders and started doing that thing with her nails on the back of his neck, sending a course of goosebumps across his skin. He took advantage of the others out of sight and left her mouth, letting his lips find their way across her jaw and down to her neck. He wasn’t tired anymore, nor hungry. He just wanted to carry her upstairs and reenact the first night they had met in Lynchburg until the sun came up the next day.

“Whoa there,” she purred and lifted his head from the oral assault he was committing on her. “There are two other people in the next room that may not want to walk in on this.”

He growled lowly within his chest, then sighed. “You’re right. But its hard to control myself when I haven’t seen you in a while, then you show up looking like you do… what do you expect?”

“You can do whatever you want to me later. In fact, I’ll be here all week, so, you have plenty of time to do what you wish.”

“A week? Seriously?” his heart fluttered at the notion. They’d never spent that much time together in one shot, and he was suddenly thrilled and anxious at the thought. A week was a long time. A million worries wanted to trudge through his mind… would they get along, would she tire of his ridiculous schedule, would they grow tired of being together? He shook them off and just concentrated on the fact that she was right there in front of him, not just a voice on the other end of the line.

“I know you have to work, and I don’t want you to change anything because of me, but yeah, as long as you don’t mind, I planned on staying through the week.”

“Jill, too?”

“No, she flies home tomorrow night. Just a little layover to take a break in traveling. Plus, she’s never seen Vancouver, so, I figured I’d take her out tomorrow before heading to the airport.”

“Well, I’m glad she’s here, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to have you to myself for the week.”

“Me too,” Y/N whispered, caressed his stubbled cheek, smiling softly before kissing him again. “Me too.”


	4. Forever in Vancouver pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 of 3

Jill and Jared kept their word, and within the hour three different take-out restaurants delivered a ridiculous amount of food. Jokes were made how little Jensen kept in the house, so at least the two of you would have something to live off of for a couple days.

The four of you sat around for hours, chatting about your vacation, their days on set, your plans for sightseeing the next day, and of course, bouts of teasing any time Jensen showed you affection.

Jensen was sitting normally on the couch, and you were curled up against his side, his arm tucked firmly around your shoulders. You could feel his rhythmic breathing and the faint echo of his heart beating. He still felt as good to you as that first night you danced together.

Everyone was feeling the late hour and decided to turn in. Jared made up a place on the couch, Jill took to the guest room, and Jensen took your hand, leading you upstairs to his room.

He closed the door softly behind him and secured it with a lock. When he turned around, he started to approach you, slowly, his gaze drinking you in with each step closer. There was very little moonlight seeping through the window, only enough to highlight the slope of his nose and the moisture of his lips.

When he was close enough, he casually moved the strap of your sundress to fall down your arm; then did the same on the other side. The top fell and exposed your breasts to the cool air. His eyes were locked with yours, as he helped the dress fall to the floor, leaving you there only in your panties.

He lifted you up, so your legs wrapped around his waist and his face was eye level with your chest, but he didn’t yet touch you there. His eyes never left yours. Laying you down gently on the bed, he held your gaze and removed the panties, before quietly removing his own clothes. Once he was free of them, he lifted your leg up in the air and left a kiss on the inner part of your ankle. The slow, methodical way he worked his way up your calf, then to your thigh as he hovered over you, was driving you seven different kinds of crazy. The fact that he purposely bypassed your most sensitive spots, further incited your ache for him.

“Jensen, please…” you quietly pleaded with him and ran your fingers through his hair, gripping his head and guiding it up to yours.

“Shhhh. I’m finding my way around again, its been a while,” he whispered roughly and left a soft kiss on your lips.

He ran his hands up the length of your body, to your arms, and with one hand pinned them over your head. His free hand reached between your thighs and slowly began to slip into the depths of your sex, first brushing against your clit, then plunging up into you.

You inhaled sharply, and your body responded to him immediately. He pressed more of his weight on top of you as his fingers expertly worked their way around until your orgasm hit, quickly and with an explosive rush. He released your hands and you dug into his shoulders, muffling the scream under your breath and stayed that way until your body stopped shaking.

Jensen brushed his nose softly against your cheek and his lips against your ear. “Come here,” he commanded softly, and helped you sit up on the bed, “I wanna watch you.”

He pulled the down the covers, leaned back against the pillows and guided you to straddle his lap. Taking control of your hips, he positioned you over his cock but moved you up and down along the shaft slowly at first. The sensation it triggered against your overstimulated clit was maddening, but you didn’t want him to stop. His eyes were on you so intensely you thought he’d make you cum again just by his gaze

When he couldn’t seem to stand it anymore, he slipped up into you. He watched you leisurely grind against him, fighting the urge you had to move faster. Jensen was completely controlling you, his need for it was written all over his face. After a few moments, he reached up behind you, grabbed a fist full of hair and pushed your forehead to his.

“Fuuck,” he growled lowly and dug his fingers into your hair and hip deeper, forcing you to grind into him harder. His control was wavering, and with every thrust upward, he moaned deeper, your name fell from his lips in mere breaths. Jensen’s eyes squeezed shut and before he could pull out or force you up and off of him, he came inside you.

There was a slight panic at what that could mean, but it passed faster than it had manifested. As Jensen wrapped his arms around you and rested his head against your breasts, you ran your nails through his hair and just caught your breath. In that moment, nothing mattered but being there with him.

You climbed off him, pulled the covers up and lay beside him on the bed. He nestled into his pillow, sleep creeping into his expression. “I missed you,” he rasped and pulled you into him. “I’m really glad you’re here.” He kissed the top of your head, and you felt him finally give in to the exhaustion.

* * *

 

Morning broke earlier than he would have liked, but regardless, Jensen got up and dressed as quietly as possible. He stood there, watching her sleep for a moment, and longed to just crawl back into bed beside her. She rolled over, now facing his empty side of the bed. He watched long enough to see her reach out for where he should be. Even in slumber, she realized he wasn’t there, but smiled as she wrapped her arms around his pillow.

He thought back to the night before, and how different that time had felt. The sex had been great as usual, but there was a lot more to what happened. He loved watching her, especially when they had sex, but not only then. He’d watch her read a book, drink coffee, even watch a movie. Everything she did was intoxicating to him. As he continued dressing, Jensen paused while fixing the collar of his white Oxford shirt when he was struck with a realization and slight feeling of nauseous panic.

 _Oh shit_ , he thought as he gazed down at her,  _I’m in love with this girl._

Y/N groaned softly as she rolled back the other way and moved an arm to rest above her head. She stretched out her neck to the side, and Jensen smiled wistfully. It was his favorite part of her body to kiss, because every time he did, she made the tiniest little gasp that drove him wild.

There were so many little things like that he found he loved about her…  _Yes_ , he told himself, more assuredly this time,  _love. You LOVE her, dummy._  Now, he just had to find a way to tell her and pray that she felt the same way.

He finished getting dressed and carefully climbed back on the bed, so as not to disturb her. Leaving a soft kiss on her shoulder, he quietly left the room and headed downstairs.

A note from Jared said that he was up earlier and went home to shower then head to set. Jensen noticed coffee was already made and he heard the balcony door closing gently from the other room. Jill came in, steaming mug in hand and wrapped up in the throw blanket from the couch.

“Morning,” she smiled and raised her cup. “Sleep well?”

“Fantastic. You? Room comfy?”

“Incredibly, thank you. Hope you don’t mind, I got the coffee going and went out to watch the sunrise. It’s really beautiful here.”

“Don’t mind at all. How is it?” he asked and nodded towards the cup.

“Oh, this is hot chocolate. I hate coffee. But I made it for Jared before and knew you and Y/N would want some.”

Jensen laughed a grabbed a to-go cup from the cabinet. “You are hands down the best houseguest, ever.”

“I try,” she said and sipped at her cocoa while watching Jensen move about the kitchen. He could feel her watching him and gave her a curious glance from the corner of his eye.

“So, what’s Y/N got you doing today?” he asked as he fixed his coffee.

“Who knows, she’s rattled off so many places she wants to drag me too. Then we have to be at the airport around five.”

“Shame you can’t stay longer. Last night was a lot of fun. Maybe Y/N and I can take a trip down to visit you soon. I’d love to meet your husband, I’ve heard a lot about him from Y/N. She says he’s the big brother she never had. Dying to finally meet the guy,” he smirked and secured the lid to his mug.

“Oh, honey, no,” Jill laughed, shook her head and patted his arm. “You’re adorable. No, see, you’re more than welcome to visit when he’s out of town or on a run with the Club, but, we don’t bring the good time home to meet Filip, only serious investors.”

Jensen chuckled unsurely, “What does that mean?”

“Just that, Y/N is family… not just my best friend. My husband looks to her as a little sister and is fiercely protective of anyone he considers family.  _Fiercely protective_. Family is everything to him. So, we have found that its best if he doesn’t meet everyone who comes into her life until we’re sure he’s sticking around.”

“Oh,” he said, slightly taken aback at her proclamation. “Just curious, has Filip met a lot of, uh, serious investors?” Jensen was fidgeting with his cup which didn’t go unnoticed by Jill.

“Only two. He disapproved of both. I’m not saying that he’s got the power of persuasion over Y/N, where he would tell her to dump someone. Buuut, let’s just say he’s an immaculate judge of character and his instincts are primally on point.”

His expression was wary, but also thoughtful. When he didn’t respond, she worried that maybe she gave him the wrong impression. “I just mean that you guys are having fun, it’s not serious or anything, right? You see each other when you can. Hell, maybe even see other people between—”

“No, there’s  _no one_  else,” he said firmly.

“Good to know,” she said and smiled with mild relief. “All I am saying is, you’re having a good time for now. Until you know what it is—”

“I’m in love with her, Jill,” he interjected abruptly, as if he didn’t say it out loud then, he wouldn’t be able too. “I’m in love with her and it’s definitely just not a good time. It’s so much more than that.”

“Then you need to tell her. Show her, make sure she hears you. I love that girl but she’s a tough sonofabitch to get through to sometimes. She gets caught up in her own head and gets lost in there sometimes. So, you may have to repeat it before she believes you.”

Jensen smiled, the soft crinkles forming around his eyes. He gave her a slight nod and replied, “Yes ma’am.”

“I want to like you, Jensen. You seem like a genuinely good person, and I know she really enjoys being with you. It’s been years since I’ve seen her like this and I so want this to work out. And I’m sure you will get to meet Filip one day. One way or another. Let’s just hope it’s the friendly kind of visit.”

Jill smiled at him sweetly before finishing her cocoa. She placed the mug in the sink and turned back towards Jensen. He seemed mildly panicked, but when you held out your arms for an embrace, he placed his mug on the counter and returned it happily.

“Now, I am going to go shower so as soon as that woman of yours wakes up, we can go get breakfast. Thanks for having me, you have a great place here. Would definitely love to come and visit again sometime.”

“Thanks, uh, for the chat—” his phone vibrated in his pocket and when he retrieved it, he scowled and shoved it back into his pocket. “That’s my ride. I gotta run, but I want you to know, I heard you. Loud and clear. Have a safe flight home, and I promise you, she’s in good hands with me.”

“Oh, I bet she is,” Jill laughed, shaking her head as she walked turned towards the spare room. “See ya sometime soon and have a good day on set.”

Jensen glanced upstairs at the door to his room. As he grabbed his coat off the hook and double checked for his wallet and keys, he thought about her still wrapped up in his sheets and how they’d be rich with her scent now. Knowing that when he got home, he could lay down on them and she would be right there, pulled at the place in his heart he’d kept reserved and closed off for so long. It scared the shit out of him, but since he’d met her, he knew it was time to open it again. 

* * *

Exploring with Vancouver with Jill was both fun and exhausting. Returning once to the apartment to rest for a few and gather her things, within a couple hours you were back out on the curb hailing a cab to take you both to the airport.

“You don’t have to come. I can get there and get on the plane, no reason you should leave and have to come all the way back.”

“It’s fine. I want to go with you. Jensen won’t be home for a few more hours at least and I don’t want to sit up there all by myself.”

“Alright, but I still say you’re a glutton for punishment,” she teased and handed the cab driver her bags for the trunk.

On the way, you chatted casually and again thanked her for the resort trip. It was rare that you got to spend this quality time with her, and suddenly found yourself anxious that it was ending regardless that it meant you’d be alone with Jensen for the whole week.

“What’s up with you?” she asked, able to read your expression easily.

“Would you laugh if I told you I was nervous?”

“About what?”

“Being alone with him… for a week. Last night, that got intense—”

“Bup bup,” she interrupted and held up her hand. “I’ve heard plenty of sexcapade stories from you about him in the last six months, I don’t need another right now.”

You rolled your eyes and continued, ignoring her teasing grin, “—he got intense. He was just… different and I can’t tell why. I don’t know. I’m being stupid.”

“You’re not. You’re stressing and overthinking, but you’re not being stupid. Look, don’t get inside your head too much, ok? He likes you, he wants you here, he was excited you showed up. By the end of the week, I’m sure you’ll be so at ease with each other, he won’t want you to leave.”

“I just wish you could stay longer,” you pouted.

“Me too, but I miss my old man and I honestly can’t watch you make out with Jensen anymore. It’s gross. You should know that.”

“You forget I’ve watched you and Filip for all these years. Girl, I’ve seen things…. Things these eyes will never recover from thanks to you two. So, don’t give me shit.”

With that, the cab pulled up to the drop-off zone and popped the trunk. After exiting the cab, she told him to wait and told you to go back to Jensen’s.

“I got it from here. Go back, enjoy time with him and just have fun. Ok? Text me if you need me, but do not call for at least two days. I plan on doing very dirty things to Filip when I get home and unless the house catches fire, don’t plan on engaging with anyone else.”

You laughed and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Got it. Travel safe.”

“I’ll let you know when I get home though, and seriously, just relax and have fun!”

Jill grabbed her luggage and headed towards the terminal, pausing only once to turn and wave goodbye.

 

In the days after Jill left, things took a weird turn between you and Jensen. He wasn’t distant, exactly, but he didn’t have much in him by the time he got home at the end of the day. Which was something you understood completely given the schedule he’d been keeping. You began to worry that his lifestyle wasn’t something you could keep up with.

The conversations you had with Jill echoed loudly in your head, and you kept asking yourself all the questions she had…  _what was it you wanted from this, where was it going, was it serious, would it last… ?_

Several days after saying goodbye to Jill, you were lying in bed trying to read with Jensen snoring softly beside you. The book was open on your lap, but you were blankly staring ahead reliving the day you’d had and trying not to be overly emotional about a whole lot of nothing.

Work had been especially grinding trying to wrap early so he could take a long weekend to spend time with you. He had fifteen-hour days on set, and each night came home completely exhausted, barely able to finish a meal and shower before he fell asleep.

Each morning he left a small note on the coffee pot, which was always brewed and waiting for you when you came downstairs. Passing the time, you went to see a movie, tidied up around the apartment, and finally cleaned out all the leftovers before heading to the market to fill the house with all his favorites.

The ones you knew of, anyway.

Browsing the aisles of the store, you were struck with the realization that there was so much you didn’t know about him. Most of the time you had together, was spent on the go, so that meant a lot of restaurants, take out or room service. Only once did you get to cook for him and that was on a layover he spent at your place a couple weeks after the convention.

You tried to brush it off, but the thought spiraled into more of the same ilk, and it left you feeling slightly spun out, unsure about why you were even trying so hard when it would probably never last. Walking through the produce section, you chose a few types of each before doing the same thing with everything else. By the time you finally reached the check out with a cart full of groceries, you were near tears with doubt.

 _What is wrong with you?_  You asked yourself as you sat there, taking in deep breaths of air.  _You’re panicking… why?_

The inner banter you had with your anxious self, went on that way for a while…  _what about food allergies? Does he have any? What if he hates mushrooms or peppers? What if he can’t eat eggs?_  Then you’d immediately berate yourself for questioning everything…  _You’ve seen him eat eggs, you idiot. You’ve seen him eat just about everything…_

It took all your strength to make both sides shut up so you could proceed with getting the haul home. Bringing it all up to the apartment was a task, too, and by the time it was all put away, you were mentally exhausted and feeling completely out of whack.

The sound of his key in the door prompted you to quickly swipe any leftover tears from your eyes and busied yourself in the kitchen.

“Hey,” he smiled wearily and hung his keys on the hook. “How was your day?”

Your back was still facing him, but you could feel his eyes on you. “It was good.”

“Just good?”

“Yeah, you know, uneventful,” you half lied and tried to compose yourself before turning around to greet him properly.

The moment you locked eyes with him, you saw he recognized that you weren’t alright. Jensen gingerly took your hand, cast his eyes down as he played with your fingers.

“You wanna talk about it or continue to feed me bullshit?” He looked up, exhaustion set into his features, and the last thing you wanted to do was add to it.

“I—I’m fine, Jay, honest. Let me make you some dinner while you relax. Looks like it was a long day.”

You noticed how intensely he was scrutinizing your face and did your best to hold up to the silent interrogation. “Alright,” he said and brought your hand to his lips. “If you say so. But, if you change your mind and wanna talk about whatever’s bothering you, I’m right here.”

“I know,” you replied, forcing a smile, “I’m fine. Go rest. Dinner should be up soon.”

His brow furrowed as you shewed him from the kitchen, but he did as you asked.

Sometime later, when you went out to tell him that it was ready, you found him fast asleep on the couch. Despite everything, you’d felt that day and all the doubts you had, you were still happy to be there with him. Even though your mind was still muddled with tons of self-doubt and worry where the relationship was headed, an overwhelming rush of love crashed into you.

 _Dammit_ , you thought as you gazed down at him sleeping peacefully,  _I’m falling in love with him and that’s the last thing I wanted._

You gently shook him awake and convinced him to go upstairs to go to bed. He was out almost instantly, but now you were laying beside him back to where you were before. The inner palaver was firing up again, so you grabbed your book to try and stave it off, but even the words of your favorite author couldn’t stop the internal argument brewing.

Everything that you felt for him, versus everything you felt you were not, battled it out until you were as mentally exhausted as Jensen had been physically spent. You finally gave up on reading, put the book on the table and slunk down into the bed. As your eyes closed, your mind let one more thought linger before finally shutting down…  _Maybe this visit was too long… maybe it really isn’t meant to last._

* * *

 

Jensen wasn’t an idiot. He could tell she was upset the minute he got home and walked into the kitchen. Her shoulders were slumped, the curve of her spine more pronounced because of it. There was something in her voice, too. Something that dampened the natural radiance he usually heard in it.

She was faking her mood and he didn’t know why. He asked if everything was alright, but her answer felt forced and false. Knowing her the way he did, he knew it had to be more than just the rigidness of his schedule. Whenever it had come up in the previous days, she was sincerely fine with it and he really believed that. He lied for a living after all, and he could spot a liar a hundred miles away. Y/N wasn’t a liar.

That’s how he knew, he had to get to the bottom of this because it wasn’t like her to lie or be this upset and try to hide it.

Y/N ushered him away from the kitchen while she got dinner going, so Jensen took respite on the couch. He flicked on the television and grabbed the phone from his pocket. Realizing the time, he didn’t want to chance to call her, so he brought Jill’s contact info up and messaged her instead.

            _Hey, how’s my favorite author doing?_

It only took about a minute for her to respond.

                       Sleeping. She was sleeping.

            _Sorry about that. Can I pick your brain for a minute?_

                       Sure. What’s up?

            _Y/N’s upset and won’t say why._

                       Crying?

            _Not anymore. She was before I got home I think. Fake smile, too._

                       Did you tell her yet? You didn’t, did you?

            _I’m waiting for the right time._

                       Men… you’re an idiot. Tell her. Now.

_Not like that. I don’t want to say it to fix something. I wanna tell her in  
           a special way. Tell me what Willow Bainbridge would do._

                       I have no words for you right now…

            _I know, I’m an ass._

                       Won’t deny that. Just tell her how you feel, dummy. She’s  
                        probably stuck in her own head just doubting everything.   
                        Doesn’t need to be elaborate. Make it special, sure. But doesn’t   
                        have to be a big spectacle. You know?

Jensen sighed. He knew she was right, but he wanted it to be. He wanted to show Y/N just how much he felt for her, but he didn’t know how. She stepped up at the convention in a big way, he just wanted to match it; do something that really proved to her that he loved her.

            _You’re the expert here, I’ll follow your lead._

Smart boy. Take care of her, ok?

                       Btw, Filip says hello and not to make her cry anymore. Niighhtt!

Shaking his head, he tucked the phone away, laid his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. He must have started dozing off, because the next thing he knew, Y/N was gingerly rubbing his arm and calling his name.

“Jensen…” her voice was soft and sweet despite whatever that was before. “Baby, wake up, let’s go upstairs. You need to get some real sleep.”

He woke enough to hear her and smile when she called him baby. He liked that, a lot. She helped guide him up the stairs and into bed, removing his jeans and shirt and putting them to the side. Jensen fell into bed and wanted to wrap himself up in her, but before she could even climb in beside him, he was fast asleep.              

 

* * *

 

You woke the next morning, and as usual, Jensen was gone. You pulled yourself up and out of bed put on your robe and headed down to the kitchen. The coffee pot was on and his note stuck to the cup beside it.

            _Fix your cup and go out to the balcony._

You did as the note commanded and froze in place once you realized he was still home and waiting for you out there.

“Well, hey stranger,” you said as you came through the balcony door. “Running late or playing hooky?”

He kissed your cheek, letting his lips linger there softly. “Both.”

The corner of your mouth twitched into a curious smile. “Both?”

“Yes, ma’am. I  _am_  playing hooky. All the way through Sunday. But, we are also running late.”

“We?”

“You sure ask a lot of questions,” he teased, his eyes were gazing upon you softly. “I have some plans for us today, and they require us to be leaving very soon. Was just about to come up and wake you.”

“I can be ready in less than an hour, is that ok?”

“Perfect.”

You took your cup upstairs and went about taking a shower to get ready for a day out with Jensen. In record time, you were showered, dressed, downstairs and ready to go. Though you were still feeling a little off from the day before, your spirit had lifted a bit and you felt a little less anxious. No matter what the day had in store, you were going to just try and enjoy the time you had with him.

The day started out with breakfast at a small café he loved, then a trip to the Vancouver Aquarium where he arranged for you to go and feed the penguins. You walked hand in hand with him all day, admiring all the creatures there and found yourself laughing a lot. He was stopped only a few times by fans, and you watched as he treated them all with nothing but kindness and appreciation.

You didn’t think it was anything you could get used to but seeing him interact with them only reinforced what you already knew. This was his life, and he was so, very good at what he did. Being with him,  _really_  being with him meant that your perfect days would be interrupted, plans would get canceled and time would sometimes be short.

Just as you were exiting the aquarium, a little boy about ten years old and his mom were walking in. Despite his baseball cap, the boy noticed Jensen and you both heard him scream, “ _Mom! It’s Dean!”_

Jensen immediately went over to him, gave him a high five, and knelt to talk to him. You watched how the little boy’s mom watched them, her face just beaming with happiness. She turned to you, her hand over her heart, “Your husband is absolutely wonderful to do this. My son loves Dean so much, the show too, crazy how they can get so much out of it at this age, isn’t it?”

All you could do is simply nod. The emotion caught up in your throat and rendered you speechless. Their interaction was brief, but it impacted you in a way you didn’t see coming. You suddenly felt remorseful for not having watched the show, for not engaging him more with his career, and the other projects he’s been a part of. You’d become so afraid of falling in love with him, that you purposely ignored the biggest part of his life. No wonder he may want to let you go…

This character he played, that seemed to touch so many people, was a mystery to you and it made you feel terribly guilty. When he said goodbye and came back to you, it was hard to look him in the eye.

From there, you walked around Gastown to explore some shops and galleries. He did most of the talking, pointing out things of interest and sharing his exceptional knowledge of the city’s history. You tried to follow along and listen to everything, but the earlier encounter had brought back the familiar feeling of the day before. You just didn’t feel like you were good enough to be with him.

Though you enjoyed the day, there was something that just felt wrong, and you knew it was because you were letting your fears take over.

Jensen suggested getting dinner and hailed a cab to take you to a restaurant called Chambar. He told the driver where to go and settled into the seat beside you.

“You’ve been quiet. You alright?”

“Yeah, just taking in the day.”

“Sure? If something’s on your mind…” he shrugged slightly and wrapped his hand around your knee, “I want you to know you can talk to me.”

You should have said more, but at that moment all you could muster was, “I know.” You hooked your arm around his elbow, rested your head on his shoulder and rode in silence to the restaurant.

Jensen must have called ahead because you were sat right away at a large corner booth in the back of the restaurant. As you walked towards the table, it struck you how similar the place looked to the restaurant in Lynchburg. You slid into the rounded booth, and Jensen followed, leaving very little distance between you.

The hostess placed down menus and left with a smile. The waitress arrived shortly after and took care of the drinks and appetizers, leaving you with your menus a while longer. Once you decided what you wanted to have, you really began to look around the place and enjoyed how familiar it felt.

“This place really looks—”

“Just like Lynchburg, right?” he said, his smile encapsulating his entire face. “It’s why I wanted to come here.”

“It’s beautiful, and the food smells great,” you said, trying to make small talk but you could see something more serious brewing behind his eyes.

The drinks were dropped off, and after he sampled his bourbon, he finally broached the subject that he had been mulling over. “I know that these past couple days have been crappy, and you’ve had a lot on your mind. But, there’s a weird thing going on here. I don’t know what it is, but I know that I’m not crazy about it.”

You felt your heart start to sink. Had you read the day completely wrong? Was this really it? The final nail in a coffin signifying the end you were so scared of?

“Wh—What do you mean?”

“Just that, you’ve been quiet, not really yourself. You don’t want to talk about it, and I can’t force you, but I also don’t want you to be unhappy.”

You swallowed a good portion of your Jack and Coke, hoping the bite of the whiskey would help quell the panic rising, to go back down. “I’m not, unhappy, Jensen.”

“Then what is it?” he asked, the lines of his forehead creasing with worry. “Because you’ve definitely not been happy. You were crying last night before I got home and hid it. Why?”

You inhaled sharply, taken aback by his accusation. He wasn’t wrong, but you thought you’d covered that so well. He seemed frustrated by it though, and you immediately assumed this was the beginning of the end. You felt instantly defensive. This wasn’t how this was supposed to be. This is how things were with the other people that had been in your life. But not Jensen, he was supposed to be different…

“Look, if you want to end things—”

Jensen was suddenly panicked. “What? No!”

“It’s ok, I mean, I never expected it to last forever,” you mumbled through a buildup of thick emotion. You could feel yourself starting to spiral. “I don’t know if I will ever be comfortable with the public side of your life, I know I don’t watch the show, and you must feel like I don’t support you—"

He took your hands tightly in his and slid you closer to him on the bench. “Y/N. Stop. Just shut up for a minute. When I first met you, we had the  _most_  amazing, best night of my life. The next day, you didn’t want to hear me out. When there’s no communication, things get messy. You ran away, and we missed out on a month together. I’m asking you now to listen to me. Alright? Just  _really_  listen.”

You drew in a shaky breath and nodded. “You’re right, I’m sorry,” you rasped.

“Good. Last thing I want is for anything to end. I realized something the other day and I’ve been waiting, looking for the perfect moment to tell you. Work has been crazy, and I didn’t want it to be said in passing or off hand. And with how quiet you’ve been, I didn’t want to say it solely try and make you feel better. I need you to know I’m sincere. Maybe I should’ve just said it right then, but when it comes to you, I’m not always thinking straight. I wanted to be in a special place, look you in the eye and be able to tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“That I am crazy, head over heels in love with you.”

The words spilled from his lips all in one breath as he sat there, anxiously awaiting your response. He squeezed your hands, as his tongue darted nervously out across his bottom lip. “Honestly, just saying it, it’s not enough, because I don’t _just_  want to be in love with you, Y/N. I want you to be with me, forever. I don’t want you to go home. I want you to stay here in Vancouver. I know that changes everything for you, and it’s a big step, but I know that we are good together. I am the best I’ve ever been, in these last six months. That’s because of you. I may be tired when I get home, and there’s not always a whole lot of me left then. But what is left, I want to give to you. I have loved coming home this week, knowing you were there and I’m sorry if I haven’t made that abundantly clear.”

You swallowed thickly and could feel your chest rising and falling, but the air expelling was thin at best. Your bottom lip was shaking with so many things you wanted to say back, but the look in his eyes was enough to render you silent. Slowly, you withdrew your hands from his and ran them nervously through your hair. It was then you were struck by how funny it all was.

“This whole week, I’ve been petrified that you were tired of me and that I shouldn’t have surprised you. I was so scared that you were just being kind, tolerating me being there. I went shopping for you and panicked. Bought everything under the sun because I didn’t remember what you liked.”

“Is that why there’s like, ten boxes of different pastas in the pantry?” he asked, a vague smirk touching his lips.

You nodded and wiped the stray tear that started falling. “I realized how little I thought I knew about you. Then, it spiraled… maybe it was too much, I was too much. That I wasn’t what you’d need or want in any concept of forever. So, I tried to step back a little bit emotionally; detach myself from you so when it did end, I wouldn’t get too hurt. Problem was, I couldn’t.”

“Why?”

“Because I had already fallen in love with you but was really scared to admit it to myself.”

His expression changed. Gone were the lines of worry across his brow, the crinkles formed at the corners of his eyes as his perfect lips curled into a smile. “You love me, huh?” he teased.

“Yeeaah,” you said shakily, drawing out the word as you leaned in closer. “Against my better judgment, I do.”

Jensen’s hand lovingly caressed your check and guided your mouth to meet his. Reminiscent of your first kiss in the elevator, it was slow and sweet; tiny flashes of energy sparking every time your lips came together. It was the first real kiss you had shared with him in a few days and it felt long overdue.

He pulled back but kept his eyes locked with yours. He appeared like he wanted to say something more, but hesitated. You didn’t want to pressure him, so you let him work it out on his own. He reached down into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, laying it face down on the table.

“I have something I need to ask you…”

* * *

 

Jensen knew it was now or never. She loved him, that was all he needed to be sure and brave. The small piece of jewelry felt heavy in his hands. He’d gone over this a million times in the last two days and was still unsure of what he wanted to say. Since the day that Jill left, he’d been trying to find the right words to ask Y/N, but nothing felt just right. The only thing that did, is him finally coming to realize he wanted to be with her forever.

He stopped and bought the ring the next day. Why wait? He knew he loved her and always wanted to be with her. He didn’t tell a single soul, though. Not even Jared. He was afraid someone would try and talk him out of it, and right now, getting Y/N to marry him was the only thing in the world he really wanted.

Jensen took a deep breath and leap that he never thought would come.

“I have something I need to ask you… Nothing about us has been conventional. I know that I’m in love with you, and I want to spend my life with you. Whether that forever is here in Vancouver, in Austin, or in Timbuctoo… I don’t care, Y/N. All that matters to me, is that I found my perfect girl and I’m tired of waiting for forever to start.”

Jensen unfurled his fingers to reveal the petite silver ring garnished with a three-carat opal cut diamond in his palm. He picked up and held it towards her. “Marry me.”

There was no wavering or uncertainty in his voice. He knew what he wanted, and he was determined to get it. Her expression morphed from adoration to shock in the course of two words. Her eyes grew large and her mouth fell slack.

“M—Marry you?” The way she said it made his stomach drop.  _Maybe it was too soon_ , he thought and fought down the internal panic. Then he really looked in her eyes and noticed her own panic.

“I know my life isn’t exactly normal. Sometimes it’s overwhelming and exhausting. But, its part of who I am, and I don’t want to give it up. That being said, I am not going to expect you to take part if you can’t. If you’re worried—”

“Will you shut up?” she interjected, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. “Just shut up, Jay, and put the ring on my finger.”

Jensen expelled a rush of anxious air and slipped the ring onto her finger. “So, that’s a yes?”

She admired it for a moment, then took his cheeks into her hands and kissed him deeply despite being in a very crowded restaurant. When the kiss cooled down, she smiled, just like she did that night in Lynchburg when they were out on the patio and agreed to go upstairs with him.

“Yes,” her bright eyes sparkled with a thousand new promises. “I will marry you… anytime, anywhere.”

Jensen felt overwhelmed, happy, scared and relieved. But as he sat with his now fiancé, as she leaned into him, watching her ring dance in the ambient lighting of the room, he knew that he did the right thing. She was the one. The one he was fated to meet and found again in the most unlikely of places. Now, she’d be with him forever.


	5. Forever in Vancouver pt 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 of 3

##  _**Six Months Later…** _

The Autumn air was unnaturally warm for October in Tennessee, not that you minded. It made having an outdoor wedding more bearable. The barn was all decked out in various flower arrangements and soft lighting, tables set up both inside and out, depending on how the weather was going to cooperate. The sun was about two hours from setting, and you knew you’d have an amazing sunset for the big day. Sunsets in this part of the world never ceased to disappoint.

Jill was fidgeting with the bottom of your dress, while Filip watched from the corner of the room. He had his arms crossed over his chest, one boot kicked over the other.

“Why you makin’ me stay in here for lass, I’ll be on me best behavior out there. I just wanna talk to the boy, shite.”

“You, sit,” Jill commanded her husband, to which he woefully obeyed but not without a rueful glance. “You will not scare him off thirty minutes before they’re supposed to get married.

“Pffft,” Filip said and waved her off. “I ain’t gonna do nothin’, love. Cross me heart.”

“You heard the woman, you best stay,” you teased and adjusted a rogue strand of hair. “Instead, tell me if I look alright. Don’t wanna look a mess walking out there.”

Filip got up, walked over to you and Jill, and draped his arm across her shoulders while giving you a firm once over. A soft smile fell to his face, causing the infamous dimples to appear. “Absolutely beautiful. I mean, no one could touch this one’s beauty on the day we said ‘I do’, but you’re a damn close second sweetheart.”

“Dayum Filip, even after all these years, you still know how to get your old lady to smile,” you teased once you saw Jill’s face blush.

“It’s a gift,” he whispered with a wink. “Now, ladies, I am gonna take me leave of ya, ‘n go find the bar. Maybe I’ll run into this groom of yours. We need to be havin’ a quick chat anyway.”

“Filip!” you warned, “Don’t you be mean!”

“Me? Come on now, you know me better than that…”

“Best behavior old man,” Jill warned and narrowed her eyes at him. Filip sauntered out of the room and flipped out the tails of his suit jacket as he walked out the door. “Boy he’s got a flair for the dramatic,” she mumbled after he left.

Standing up from fixing one more spot on the hem, she stepped back and took a long look at you. “Alright, I think you are ready to go.” Her face beamed, and you turned to take one more look at yourself in the mirror.

“Is this really going to happen today? How the  _Hell_  did I get here?” you asked, more to your reflection than to Jill. But she nonetheless stood behind you and spoke to both of your reflections. “This time last year I was newly single and planning a vacation… now…”

“Now you are marrying a really great guy who loves you like crazy and has the world’s coolest job. It’s going to be beautiful and you two are going to have the best, craziest sort of life together.”

“You think?”

“I know.”

Jill squeezed your shoulders and smiled again through the reflection. “Come on, let’s go get you married.”

* * *

 

Outside, Jensen paced nervously while trying to listen to the calming words of his brother and father about the wonders of marriage. Jared stood off to the side relishing in watching how anxious his best friend was getting. After a few minutes, he found a way to get Jensen alone, if for no other reason than to give the man a moment to breathe.

“You alright?” Jared asked, picking a piece of lint from Jensen’s tux.

“If you count wanting to puke as alright, sure. I’m dandy.”

“Wanna call it off?” Jared asked sarcastically, earning a look of death from Jensen.

“What do you think?”

“Alright, then chill. It’s going to be fine. You’ll get up there, she’ll get up there, Y’all will be married and then… we’ll drink and party. Right?”

“Yeah, man. Thanks. You sure you’re good to do this?”

Jared pulled the index cards from his jacket and nodded. “I am so ready to do this. I’m honored you’d even ask me.”

“No one else in the world I’d want to have been a part of this,” Jensen clapped Jared’s shoulder and brought him into a hug.

Approaching from behind, Filip cleared his throat. “Excuse me, boys, may I have a moment with the groom?”

Jared and Jensen passed a nervous look. Jensen’s mouth frowned and he nodded, his way of telling Jared it was ok to go on ahead. “I’ll meet you up there.”

Once Jared was gone Filip got a little closer and looked out over the area set up for the wedding.

“Gorgeous, huh?” Filip asked gesturing towards it. “Really pretty place you choose here.”

“Yeah, it’s beautiful.”

Filip maintained his silence for a moment. Surveying the farm before him, he turned slowly and caught Jensen’s gaze. “So’s she, ya know. Me little sis down there. Not just her face I mean. She’s a good one.”

“I know. Trust me.”

“She best stay that way.”

“She will as long as she’s with me,” Jensen said assuredly, though resisted the urge to add “sir,” and glanced at Filip from the corner of his eye.

“Y/N ever tell ya ‘bout the time she brought this one lad ‘round the house?” Filip asked, ignoring Jensen’s comment. “He was a lazy shite, didn’t like him at all. Walked in on ‘em fightin’ once, poor fella.”

“Poor fella?” Jensen asked with an edgy grin. “What, uh, happened to him?”

Filip was quiet for a moment longer than was comfortable for Jensen. A wicked smile unfurled on his lips, enhancing the Glasgow smile etched into his face. “Let’s hope you never have to find out, aye?”

The older man in the dapper gray suit chuckled darkly and smacked Jensen on the back. “Sun’s getting low boyo, best be getting the bride ready for a walk down the aisle to ya.”

He turned and sauntered back down the hill towards where Y/N would be getting ready. Jensen took a moment to compose himself and found the whole thing slightly humorous. Y/N was like no one he’d ever known. Even her closest family and friends were characters, and even though they may be slightly frightening, he was looking forward to the day they called him family, too.

 

The music started playing, and Jill appeared at the end of the aisle wearing an off the shoulder, plum colored dress. As the Maid of Honor, she walked slowly, smiling at the smattering of guests. Keeping it to close friends and family, there were less than fifty people in attendance, which provided a wonderfully intimate setting. When she arrived at the end, everyone stood up and reacted to seeing Y/N standing there on Filip’s arm.

Jensen’s breath stopped. He tried to swallow the swell of emotion that build up, but his throat had gone completely dry. She was breathtaking. He didn’t notice the details of her dress, or exactly how she had her hair done. All he could see were how her eyes were locked with his, and twinkled with the future that waited for him there.

Traveling, holidays, quiet nights… kids. All of it. Everything he’d wanted with a girl that was meant to be his.

She arrived at the altar, and Jared cleared his throat. Standing in as the Officiant of the Ceremony, he asked who gave this woman to this man.

Filip cleared his throat, and cast a look over to Jill, who warned with her eyes that he’s to answer and move on; no shenanigans.

“I do,” he replied and clapped Jensen on the shoulder and grinned, “I give her, happily.”

Once Filip was sat in the front row, Jared continued on with the ceremony.

“When Jensen first told me about meeting Y/N, he said that she was the kind of girl that made you question your future. He thought of her as his Cinderella. The perfect girl who got away, never to be seen again. But she proved him wrong. That’s when I knew I approved. Anyone that can prove this man wrong, is a superstar in my book.”

Jared raised his brows in jest and Jensen sighed loudly, hanging his head in mock shame. A ripple of laughs worked its way through the guests, and once it was quiet again, Jared placed a hand on both Jensen’s and Y/N’s shoulders.

“In all seriousness, you two have found an amazing connection of love that most people only dream of. I am honored to be a small part of this and cannot wait to watch you both grow in love from now until the end of days. Thankfully, you’ve written your own vows, so I will now shut up and let you have at it.”

Jensen may have been comfortable on con stages, in front of cameras and even behind them, but right then, his nerves were maxed out. Before him, stood not only the most beautiful woman he’d ever known but the only one who had ever made him feel complete. He didn’t remember what life was like before knowing her, and he never wanted to again. Now, he finally had her right where he wanted her and planned on telling her just how much he was going to love her for the rest of his life.

He drew in a deep breath and began…


	6. Best. Christmas. Ever.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Y/N) has been traveling for work more after she married Jensen, than ever before. Now that its Christmas time, she’s looking forward to a quiet, intimate holiday, until he springs the surprise that the whole family will be joining them after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for @sorenmarie87 ‘s Christmas Writing Challenge. My dialogue prompt was “You invited how many people to Christmas Dinner?” along with the below aesthetic. This fic is a continuation of the Fated, Found, Forever series. You don’t HAVE to know that series to read this, though.

Christmas.

It was eight days before the overindulgent day when you found yourself somewhere outside of Chicago after yet another seminar you had to present to a hotel conference room of bored accountants and lawyers.

Starring up at the arrivals/departure board, you noticed that your flight back to Vancouver was delayed by at least two hours. Your entire body sighed with disappointment. Exhausted and desperate to be home didn’t begin to cover how you felt, but it was missing Jensen that killed you the most.

You had been married for just over a year and hadn’t seen much of each other in the months since returning from your honeymoon. When his filming schedule calmed down, your travel schedule seemed to pick up. The weekends you were home, were the weekends he was off to a convention or appearance somewhere else.

Even as much as you missed him and as hectic as your lives were, you wouldn’t change a thing. Splitting your time between Jensen’s places in Vancouver and Austin, and yours in the Northeast, wasn’t ideal, but you made it work and knew that it wasn’t going to be forever. You had worked hard to carve out a career in Tax Law, and with the amount you traveled, a dedicated home was desirable but just not practical. However, having the three places scattered across thousands of miles was beginning to be a logistical nightmare. As you sat in the airport, watching your flight be delayed even longer, all you craved in that moment was to be home. In YOUR home, one that you and Jensen dreamed of building together. More importantly, one that you could start a family in.

Frustrated and tired, you grabbed your carryon and began walking around the terminal in search of something to keep you busy. Walking around O’Hare International, you stumbled upon a little Duty-Free shop that had several holiday displays set up. You already had a few gifts for Jensen, but there was one more you needed to purchase. The only thing that stopped you thus far, was finding the right one and the time to search for it. This wasn’t something you just wanted to order online, this gift needed to be special and purchased by your own hand.

Thanks to your delayed flight, and that duty-free shop, you found it. Hanging all alone on the rack where it obviously didn’t belong, there it was. You grabbed it and the minute you held it in your hands, tears began to fill your eyes thanks to a cocktail of exhaustion, dehydration and pure emotional overload. Quickly making your purchase, you tucked the bag away in your carryon and found a quiet place to wait for your flight home.

* * *

 

With the layover, flight time and traffic, you were standing outside the apartment door eight hours later. So very tired, hungry and irritable, you just wanted to shove something in your mouth and crash onto the bed. If Jensen was home, bonus, if not… that just meant more time to sleep.

The flight was a nightmare, as was dealing with customs and traffic to get home. Opening the door to your apartment, you were greeted by the familiar scent of your space, along with a deafening silence. Only the hallway was illuminated, along with the soft light over the kitchen sink. You took one glance around and knew that Jensen wasn’t home and hadn’t been for a while.

Up in the bedroom, you plugged in your cell and waited for the charge to take while you readied yourself for bed and snacked on the small bag of pretzels they provided you with on the plane. The cell had enough power to come to life just as you slipped into bed. Scrolling through all the notifications you missed, there were at least five calls from your husband, two from your best friend, Jill, and at least two texts from her husband, Filip.

“Good Lord,” you mumbled as you replied to him with a brief, yet life-affirming message so he wouldn’t think you were dead, just as you did with Jill. Both included a promise of a call tomorrow, but for tonight, you were spent.

The message from Jensen just confirmed what you already figured. Had been on set for a crazy number of hours and was crashing at Jared’s for the brief respite they had before having to get back the next morning. Too tired to do more than move your eyes across the screen of your phone, you sent him a simple text that read:

_Got your message. You work too hard, you know that? Tell Jar I say hey. Home safe now, I love you._

With that, you put the phone back on the nightstand and slept for the next twelve hours straight.

* * *

 

Waking to midafternoon light was rattling. Jumping between time zones the way you had been, and being as tired as you were of late, it was no wonder you didn’t know where you were at first. It took more than a minute or two to remember that you were finally home, in the bed you shared with Jensen even though he wasn’t there.

Christmas… seven days away now.

You still had one more trip to make before the holiday, and you weren’t looking forward to it. After that, it was smooth sailing until after New Year’s, and that was something you were very much looking forward too. You’d return home the day before Christmas Eve, then you and Jensen could have a nice, quiet Christmas just like you desperately wanted. One where you could give him his special gift.

Noise from downstairs caught your ear. You slipped out of bed and into your robe before cautiously heading to the kitchen. The television was on low in the living room and the small fireplace was ablaze with warm flames lapping against the thin glass doors. Jensen came from around the corner, slightly startled by seeing you there.

“Hey gorgeous,” he said, an instant, wide grin plastered to his face. “Thought you’d never wake up.”

In dramatic fashion, you threw your arms around his neck and squeezed as he lifted you off the ground in a grand embrace.

“Two weeks is way too long,” he growled before kissing you swiftly and with purpose. He had you up by the waist, your legs wrapped around his midsection as he walked you back into a wall. If not for the deep rumble in your stomach, clothes would have started flying off in all directions. But even he couldn’t deny the cries of hunger radiating from your gut as you both started to laugh during its relentless complaining.

“When was the last time you ate, woman? Don’t they feed you at these borventions you have to go to?”

“Oh my God, put me down, you dork… Borventions? Really? You’re losing your touch, Jay.”

He put you down and shrugged unapologetically. “I can’t help that they put me to sleep. I honestly don’t know how you can wrap your head around all that stuff.”

You rolled your eyes at him and headed straight to the refrigerator only to find it nearly empty. “Damn,” you mumbled and turned back to him. “Are you due back on set soon?”

“Nope, I am all yours until you have to leave again. Sorry, food’s scarce. Go get ready and we’ll go out to your favorite place to eat.”

“Are you going to judge me for what I order this time?” you asked, narrowly eyeing him and raising one brow in question.

“Me? Never.”

“Right….”

“I swear, if you want to eat that disgusting concoction called disco fries, my love, you do you and I will support you with every bite.”

“Well, here its’ called poutine, but yeah… they’re delicious and you’re just wrong for not liking it.”

“I’ll refrain… Cross my heart,” he said and mimicked the gesture.

“I’m holding you to that, mister.”

* * *

 

An hour later you were happily seated in your favorite booth and giving the waitress your order, a turkey club sandwich with a side of disco fries and large cherry coke. Once she was off with the orders, Jensen reached across the table asking for both of your hands. You loved how his fingers felt curled up against yours, the warmth of them enveloping your entire hand.

“When do you leave again?” he asked, not meeting your gaze, but keeping it firmly on the twisted knot of your entangled fingers. The light bounced off of your wedding and engagement rings, catching his eye and eliciting that soft, reflective smile he had that you loved so much.

“Tomorrow afternoon. My flight for Buffalo leaves at three. It’s only a two-day conference, but the flights back suck. I have a layover in Vegas for three or four hours before I get a flight back to Vancouver. I should be back on the twenty-third sometime in the morning by around nine or ten.”

“Jesus,” he moaned under his breath. “No wonder you’re so beat. You say I work too much, but really…” He shrugged and tilted his head to the side. “Have you given any more thought to what we talked about?” He finally lifted his gaze to meet yours.

You easily communicated your answer through your expression…  _not now, okay?_  He shrugged it off and forced a smile.

“Hon, you don’t  _have_  to work. You know that. If you want time off or, to do the thing we talked about—”

“YOU talked about.”

“Whatever. My point is that you have other things you want to do with your life, right? Giving seminars on—honestly, I don’t even know what you talk about at these things—but, you don’t have to do it if it’s too much or you don’t love it anymore.”

“I’ve never  _loved_  it, Jensen. Not exactly like this was the dream job, ya know? It was a practical way to support myself.”

“That’s my point, (Y/N). You did the career thing to support yourself thing. Now, maybe its time to chase your passion. Find something else that really speaks to you.”

“Something that keeps me home more?”

Jensen shrugged, the little crinkles around his eyes appearing as his sheepish smile grew. “Maybe.”

“I promise to seriously think about it, okay? But not until after the new year. After this trip, its vacation time and I cannot wait to spend a quiet Christmas with you at home, then ring in the new year Gatsby style at Jared and Gen’s party.”

“Mmmhmm. And I can’t wait to see you in that Gatsby style dress,” Jensen teased, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

“Perv.”

“You love me for it,” he challenged, just as the waitress was returning with your orders.

Once she placed them down, Jensen drew in a deep breath. “Speaking of Christmas… there was a slight, last minute change in plans.”

You gradually lifted your face from inhaling your turkey club and starred at him. “What kind of change?” you asked through a mouthful of food.

“Well…” he started and cleared his throat. “Funny story. I told my mom how we were just chillin’ in Vancouver and she sorta lost it. So, I invited some people to dinner.”

“Um, some people?” a bit of disappointment was steadily growing in your gut, right along with a swell of nausea at the thought of having to host a big dinner for your in-laws.

“My folks insisted we come there, or they come up. So, I said, alright I’ll fly you up. That turned into my brother and sister coming, too. Jared and Gen will be up this way with the kids, so they’re coming. Oh, and Gen’s mo—”

**_“You invited how many people over for Christmas dinner?!”_ **

Jensen did some quick math in his head then laughed nervously when he saw your expression. He picked up his burger and let it hover by his mouth. “Including us… and everyone’s kids… twenty-five,” he mumbled before taking a huge bite.

Your appetite was suddenly gone. Pushing the coveted plate of disco fries away from you, you slumped back into the booth and sighed. Jensen’s face fell, and you immediately regretted your reaction.

“I’m sorry Jay, really. I think its great we are going to have family and friends up for Christmas. I guess I was just hoping to have you to myself.”

“I know. I was too. I promise you will we have time just for us. After not seeing you for two weeks, and now another week, I want that more than anything. Baby, I promise… we will make time, okay?”

He reached across the table and you gave him your hand along with a forced, accepting smile. “Okay. It’s gonna be great. Twenty-five people… at the apartment,” you finally replied, the last words trailing off at the thought of cramming that many people in.

“Oh, no. That won’t happen. I’ll kill someone. No, no, no,” he chuckled and wiped his lips with the napkin. “I rented a place for everyone to meet up at, up on Grouse Mountain. Gorgeous place. Big old ski chalet that has five bedrooms up in the main house, and then two smaller cabins out on the property. We’ll be able to fit everyone comfortably, have a great Christmas. The best part is, I have all the food handled already.”

You were blown away by everything he had accomplished and was able to keep quiet about. “Wow, Jay, I’m amazed. It sounds like its going to be a really picturesque kind of Christmas.” Giving his hand a squeeze, you tried to make sure your expression looked enthusiastic about all the arrangements. When really, all you felt was tired, disappointed and already mentally spent from the amount of socializing that would be taking place again over the next week, then through Christmas vacation.

* * *

 

The week carried on without much fanfare. After a wonderful, but far too quick respite home with Jensen, you took off for the last convention series of the year. Getting through those few days was the easy part. There was one day of travel, two days of seminars and a total of two thousand tax attorneys and accountants from across the Tri-State area that filed into Buffalo. The hard part was trying to get home.

Arriving back at the airport, it was now two days before Christmas. Christmas Eve, Eve, as you used to call it. The airport was a bustling madhouse, even worse than O’Hare the week before. Flights were delayed for hours thanks to a lingering snowstorm which just added to the normal amount of delays that occurred that time of year.

Your plan of arriving back in Vancouver in time to head up to the cabin with Jensen was dead in the water. Everything inside you wanted to just curl up and cry. But since that wasn’t an option, you made the regrettable call, then found a quiet corner to sit and resigned yourself to the long wait.

Rifling through your carryon to find your book, you came across the bag you had shoved in there containing Jensen’s special gift. Just touching the bag made you smile. The more you thought of him and the life you’d forged so far, the more of the curmudgeonly temperament you had towards his big family Christmas, faded.

You knew when you married him, you would be sharing him with not only with his fans, but his friends and family, too. It was something you knew you would have to get used to. However, for this Christmas, you had built up the idea of a quiet holiday, something just for the two of you to share.

No such luck. Yet, the more you thought about him, and how much you loved him, you suddenly didn’t care if there were two, or twenty-five people sat around the tree that Christmas morning. It would still be a beautiful, special day because he would be next to you. Really, that’s all that mattered.

The flight back to Vancouver felt like it took an eternity. But when you touched down and was finally able to deplane, grab your bags and head towards the exit, it was all but forgotten when you spotted a driver holding a sign with your name on it.

“Mrs. Ackles?” he asked as you approached him with a weary smile.

“Um, yes. That’s me.”

“Your husband arranged for me to pick you up and take you directly up to the cabin. Why don’t you take a moment to confirm with him, and I’ll be happy to take your bags for you.”

There was no way to hide the grin that took over your face as you dug for your phone and sent him a text. You knew it had to have been him that arranged for the car. He was always on you to check with him when it came to that. Because, according to him, ‘ _you can never be too careful_ ’.

_(Y/N): You really sent a driver?_

_J: I did._

_(Y/N): Don’t trust me driving?_

_J: Nope. You suck at traveling and getting anywhere on time. Come on, get here already woman. I miss you._

_(Y/N): Be there soon. Miss you too. So much._

“Alright, let’s go!” you said, tucking the phone away, “After you, my good man,” and followed the driver out of the airport and into the sleek, black Land Rover that was meant to escort you up to the mountain chalet.

* * *

About an hour later you arrived at the place Jensen had arranged for all the families to meet up at for Christmas. The driver turned up a long, winding driveway that had been cleared of snow just enough for the Rover to make it to the top. Your breath caught in your throat when you saw the beautifully illuminated chalet, whose many peaks rose high up into the backdrop of shadowed mountains and a dark, star-studded sky.

There were multiple cars scattered throughout the generously sized parking area, but the house itself was quiet and void of any movement. The driver brought your bags to the front door and waited for you there, but you were too much in awe of the amazing place Jensen chose to spend Christmas in.

“Ma’am?” he called, pulling your attention back, “would you care for me to bring this inside for you?” he asked, holding up the key Jensen must have given him.

“No, thank you, I can manage.” From your coat pocket you pulled out the tip you tucked away earlier and wished him a Merry Christmas.

Slipping the key into the lock, you pushed the massive wood door open and instantly fell in love. Soft lights were on throughout the first-floor foyer, great room, and formal dining area. In the corner of the great room, and opposite the grand flagstone fireplace was a Christmas tree at least eight feet high. It was adorned with variously shaped gold and silver ornaments and illuminated with soft white lights that reflected the shimmer of the glass icicles that were scattered around the tree. At the top stood a rustic-gold and glass, Texas-star that lit up from the inside, with a mix of wide, gold and silver, glitter-lined ribbons cascading from just below the topper and fell in loose loops to the bottom of the tree.

The entire place smelled of gingerbread and the remnants of the fire that had since fallen into embers. Both of which were pleasant and rather comforting. Though it wasn’t your home, it felt like  _someone’s_ home and you thought maybe this all wouldn’t be so bad. The more you looked around, you realized that everyone must be asleep already. No one heard you come in and there was no noise coming from any of the doors. Not wanting to wake anyone up, you took out your phone and texted Jensen.

(Y/N):  _I’m here. Wanna give a girl a hint as to which room is ours?_

Nothing. The message sat as delivered, but not read.

“Damn,” you mumbled under your breath, assuming he must have fallen asleep.

You went back through the kitchen and towards the main staircase. Halfway up, you heard one of the doors from downstairs open and turned to go back down. Just as you rounded the corner to go back towards the kitchen, you were greeted by the very welcome sight of your best friend, Jill.

“What are you doing here?!” you wanted to scream but managed to keep the volume of excitement to a rough whisper.

“Your husband invited us! We were supposed to be a surprise,” she said and pouted her lips. “Sorry… surprise!” She held up her hands in a ‘ _here we are!’_  gesture.

You pulled her into a happy embrace and felt a bit of relief that you would have your best ally with you for Christmas. “I can’t believe he didn’t tell me.”

“Well, I told him not too. I wanted to be a surprise. I can’t remember the last time we were together for Christmas.”

“Its been too long. I am really,  _really_  glad you guys are here.”

“Me too. Even the old man was excited.”

“Wow. Now that’s a Christmas miracle in itself,” you teased. “So, while I would love to play catch up, I am so tired from this fucking flying nonsense that I just wanna crash. Any idea as to which room my husband may be residing in? He must have fallen asleep and I really didn’t want to resort to a room check. The idea of peaking in on my in-laws while they sleep… super creepy.”

Jill laughed with a snort. “Yeah, that sounds like him. They’re all upstairs. He’s down here with us.”

You raised an inquisitive brow. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Across the hall, dummy,” she replied with a slight roll of her eyes. “He was supposed to be waiting up for you, but he was wiped, you could tell. He put all of this together, today.” She waved her hand towards the great room and the decorations that were sprinkled throughout the whole place.

“What? Seriously?”

“Yeah. When we got here this afternoon, he was finishing up the tree. I know he did it alone because we were the first ones here. All his family showed up after us. And I think Jared and Gen are down in the one cabin with the kids. They came up briefly, but again, wasn’t until after.”

“Wow…” you mused softly taking it all in again. “He’s pretty great, huh?”

“Yeah. He is. So, down the hallway, door to the right. I’m getting a drink and heading off myself. Catch up more tomorrow?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

You hugged her again, grabbed your carryon bag and headed down to the room where Jensen was presumably sleeping.

When you opened the door, you found him sitting up in bed, his head drooped to one side and a book open on his chest. He was snoring quietly, one hand still pressed to the cover, the other laying in his lap. Closing the door behind you and making sure to set the lock, you went to move the book from his hand and realized it was the latest book by Jill’s alter ego, Willow Bainbridge, that was not-yet-released to the public. You opened the flap and saw her inscription to him.

_To my biggest fan, Jensen. Thanks for the notes on this, your input was invaluable to making it happen._

_Merry Christmas from your biggest fan,_

_Jill_

_He must have been in his glory_ , you thought and stifled a giggle as you closed it carefully and placed it on your nightstand.

Quietly, you removed most of your clothes, leaving only your white cami that you wore under your blouse and a pair of pink, silk underwear. Cautiously, trying not to wake him, you straddled his lap and bent down to his kiss neck. It was your favorite way to wake him up. The moment your lips pressed against his skin, you felt his hands dragging up your legs and come to rest on the highest part of your thigh. A deep groan rumbled from his throat as he tilted his neck to the side, giving you more access to that part of him.

Smiling through the soft, lingering kisses on his neck, you trailed your lips up to his ear. “I’m finally here.”

“About time,” he rasped, his tone still weary from sleep. In one fell swoop, he gripped you tightly and rolled you over so you were on your back with the weight of him hovering over you. “Hi,” he said, his eyes smiling, while he licked his lips in anticipation of yours.

“Hi right back.”

That was it, the only formal greeting you needed or wanted. Less than a minute later, the remaining clothes were discarded about the room and your hands and mouths did any further talking that was needed. He took his time and made sure that he covered every inch of you with the same attention that he paid the part before. Never rushing, despite the exhaustion you both felt. When he was finally ready to come inside you, your nails digging into the flesh on his back, his head buried in the comfort of your hair and neck, he called your name over and over with a vibration of passion that only he ever brought out in you.

After, when you were laying together, happily dozing with your head on his chest, and his hand in your hair, all the stress and worry about Christmas, traveling, and your job went right out the window. In the end getting to be there with him and all your closest friends and family was worth all the chaos and frustrations of traveling.

* * *

 

Christmas Eve.

The next morning came with the kind of noise, confusion, and excitement that one would only find at Christmas time. A big breakfast spread, kids running around not eating any of it, but parents insisting they do. Your in-laws were peppering you with a million questions about work, travel, and married life, while Jensen was trying to field Filip’s questions about the same things… it was an endless circle of conversations that lasted well after breakfast. Most of the Ackles family, Jensen included, decided to head out to the ski lift that landed barely a hundred or so yards out of the chalet’s front door. He was slightly disappointed when you passed, but you still wanted to unpack and take a shower before an afternoon of baking cookies and making pies.

After a blissfully hot shower, you got back into your room, only to find Jill unpacking your carryon.

“What on Earth are you doing?” you asked, as you closed the door and pulled the towel from your wet hair.

“Using the guise of helping you unpack to avoid skiing. Also, so we can catch up,” she shrugged and took your stack of clothes to transfer to the dresser.

“And Filip?”

“Oh, he went skiing. Not to actually ski, mind you. But he wants to see if anyone makes an ass of themselves.”

“Namely, Jensen.”

“Mhm,” she said, “He loves Jensen, but if he has an opportunity to tease him…”

“I would expect nothing less of him.”

You grabbed a pile of clothes before she could put them away and began to work at drying your hair and getting changed. “So, fill me in, what’s been going on?”

Jill shrugged and went back into the carryon, this time coming out with the bag containing Jensen’s special gift. When you realized what she had, you dropped the hairbrush and snatched it from her hands. The look of surprise on her face made you snort a laugh, but you quickly regretted your reaction and tried to cover with an apology.

“S-Sorry, this is, uh, personal.”

Jill put her hands on her hips. “Personal? (Y/N) I’ve known you longer than I can recall being alive, and you’re coming at me with… personal? What’s in the bag?”

“Nothing… just a gift. For Jensen. Its… lingerie.”

“Mhm… bullshit. Let me see.”

“No! I’m not showing you what I wear to get him… excited,” the last word came out sheepishly and you averted her gaze.

Jill’s eyes narrowed on you and then floated down to the bag. You could feel the intensity of her stare, but when realization dawned on her face, you felt your stomach drop.

“Ho. Ly. Shit. You’re pregnant.”

“What?! No… you’re… pregnant. No. I mean, I’m not.”

“You’re the world’s worst liar. No mimosas at breakfast, no skiing with your hunky husband and his family… you look like you haven’t slept in weeks and you barely touched any food at all today. And really, its nearly three… Not even spiked eggnog in your possession at a family holiday? That’s just bonkers.”

“So, because I decide not to drink or ski, that means I’m pregnant?” you scoffed.

“Show me what’s in the bag,” she challenged and held out her hand.

“Fine.” You relented and handed it over.

You watched the expression on her face transform from apprehension to pure joy. The little gray onesie she pulled out from the plastic bag unfolded in her hands. When she looked up at you, her eyes were misty with happy tears.

“Really?” she asked, drawing out the word in a happy, high pitched squeal.

“Really. Not far along, but yeah.”

She was downright giddy. “Does he know?”

“Not yet. I wanted to tell him on Christmas, but then Christmas turned into… all of this and I really don’t want to do it in a room full of his family. I want that to be our moment.”

Jill sat on the corner of the bed and held up the tiny piece of clothing that read, ‘Best Present Ever’. “That’s one hundred percent understandable. So, what now though? Wait until you go home?”

“I guess. He promised we would have some time together, just he and I, so we’ll see. But with everyone here…” you sat on the bed beside her and rested your head on her shoulder, “who knows when that will be. Please don’t tell Filip yet, okay?”

“I won’t. And he’s oblivious to these things, but you know he’s going to be over the moon, right? We had ours young, and they’re so grown now, having another baby around… he will just be a big old pile of leather and mush.”

A knock at the door made you both sort of jump up, and Jill stashed the onesie behind her back as you made sure your bathrobe was closed tightly, unsure of who may be knocking. The door opened a crack and Jensen’s face peaked in.

“Oh, hey. You are here. Filip is looking for you. Apparently, he needs you to witness him take on the Black Diamond trail. He said to bring binoculars and a video camera with a good zoom…” he relayed the message with a furrowed brow and giddy smile rested on his lips.

“Oh, Jesus…” she moaned. “Tell him to wait, please. I will be right there.”

“Ok!” Jensen winked at you and swiftly closed the door, probably sprinting down the hallway, off to watch Filip tackle the slopes.

“Giant. Children. Both of them,” she said and handed you back the onesie. “Hide that better. We’ll talk later, okay? I need to go chaperone our husbands.”

You nodded and did as she suggested after she left. You looked forward to talking to her about it more later, but that moment never arrived. Once everyone returned from skiing, thankfully with no broken limbs, only broken egos, everyone broke off into various groups doing different holiday activities. The men drifted towards the rec room to drink and shoot pool or play darts, while the grandmothers, moms, and kids all bustled about the kitchen, making an array of cookies, pies, and candies that were specially reserved for Christmas Day and intended as an offering for Santa. Every now and again, Jensen and Jared would creep into the kitchen, trying to convince one of the kids to pass them a few cookies, and each time one of the moms would have to shoo them away.

Hours later, when the kids were done baking, and they were at peak sugar rush from all the tasting, they ventured out to build snowmen with all the guys, while inside you, Jill, Gen and the rest of the women cleared down the baking mess and began heating up the trays of food Jensen ordered for dinner.

* * *

 

Jensen stood outside in the snow, watching his dad and brother work with this nieces and nephews to build a bunker, while Jared and Filip were creating an arsenal of snowballs with Shep and Thomas. They were preparing for the snowball fight to end all snowball fights. He watched them all with a contented smile, and felt satisfied with how everything had been going, so far. Even if (Y/N) had not been on board at first.

He felt guilty that he had gone and set all this up without talking to her, and really, that was supposed to be the fun of it. He had put these plans in motion a while ago, to surprise her with a fun Christmas in the mountains that included all their favorite people. Her reaction wasn’t exactly what he had hoped for, but all in all, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

A crash against his chest, and residual wet spray smacked him in the face, pulling him back to the present. It was just in time to block another snowball being fired at him from across the yard. Jensen grabbed a handful of snow and fired back at his best friend, while the boys continued to throw each one their hardest.

Jensen relented and let the boys take him down, falling dramatically into a mound of snow, while Jared cheered them on. In a flash, they were off to the bunker with the others. Jared came over and lent a hand to pull Jensen up from the snow.

“Those kids of yours, they’re brutal,” he said, brushing the snow from his pants. “What have you been teaching them, anyway? The art of pitching an ice cube to the face?”

“Accuracy, brother. Accuracy. It’s all the release,” Jared teased and smacked him on the shoulder. “Besides, when you have yours, I’m sure they will just as lethal. If not, Uncle Jared will fix it.”

“Yeah,” he scoffed. “I don’t know if that’s in the cards,” he mumbled with a twinge of disappointment.

“Why do you say that?”

“I’ve been trying to convince (Y/N) to slow down a little. She’s been traveling like crazy these last few months. Her schedule makes us look like recluses.”

“Shit,” Jared mumbled. “Have you ever talked about it? Kids, I mean.”

“Sure, before we were married, but we didn’t put a timetable on it.”

Jared shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. “Is that something you want… now? I mean, are you ready for it? Is she?”

“I don’t know man, we haven’t had more than 24 hours alone together in weeks. I barely know whether she’s coming or going half the time and I hate it.”

“So, tell her that. Not like she’s gotta stay home permanently, but maybe something more localized, with less travel.”

“I have an idea, its sneaky and underhanded. But I am willing to take that route if it means more time with her. Ultimately, that’s all I really want. I see how you and Gen handle it, and I want that. I want that with her.”

Jared snorted a laughed. “Whiiiped.” The word popped from his mouth animatedly. Jensen bent down and swiftly crafted a snowball to pelt at Jared’s head.

“Yeah, I’ll show you whipped,” he mumbled and continued his assault on Jared’s back as he ran and dove into the bunker.

* * *

 

Once the table was set, and the food was warm, Gen went out to call everyone inside to clean up for dinner, then went about helping her boys to strip down of their layers of winter apparel once inside. Jensen stumbled in after them and made a beeline straight for you. He pulled you into the great room and walked you to stand in front of the fireplace. From behind, he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you in close.

“It is so damn cold out there,” he said, his teeth and jaw chattering against your neck.

You covered his arms and hands with your own and leaned back into him. “I can think of ways to keep you warm,” you said softly, so no one else could hear you.

“If I wasn’t so damn hungry, I would one hundred percent march your cute little ass down the hallway right now,” he purred in your ear, giving you a little nip on the flesh below your earlobe, “but a man needs his strength first.”

One last call from the other room beckoned everyone to come to sit for dinner.

“Come on, if there aren’t enough chairs, you can sit on my lap,” he teased, and started to lead you towards the dining room.

Chastising him with a shake of your head, you followed along but paused right outside of the doorway due to a sudden rush of exhaustion, upset stomach and dizziness that froze you in place. Doing your best to act as normal as possible, you waved him on. “You go ahead, I just need to use the bathroom first.”

“You alright?” he asked, able to tell you weren’t one hundred percent.

“Yeah, I just—I just need a minute,” you said and flashed a smile. “Promise.”

Jensen gave your hand a squeeze and went on ahead, while you made a quick and unseen turn to head down the hallway towards your bedroom. Planning on just resting for a moment, you found the edge of the bed and immediately fell back onto the mattress. The dizziness subsided, as did the quick rush of nausea, but you still didn’t feel ready to go back out there. Though the day had been great, you were tired and suddenly overly emotional about not being able to share your news how you had envisioned. A few stray tears spilled down your cheeks that you tried to wipe away but only succeeded in smearing the little make up you had on. Crawling up further onto the bed, you curled up in a ball and decided to just let it all run its course so you could rejoin everyone for Christmas Eve dinner.

* * *

 

The dishes were passed, food was consumed, and it was around that time that kids started yawning and talks of Santa’s arrival were circling. Jensen listened and laughed at Jared reassured Shep and Thomas that Santa would find them, even way out there. He missed (Y/N) and wasn’t sure why she didn’t return to dinner. He didn’t want to make a big spectacle until his sister asked where she was. Passing along some excuse, he tried to reassure himself that’s all it was.

 _Man, I hope I didn’t fuck this up_ , he thought as he watched the rest of his family go about cleaning up from the meal.  _Did she not come back because she’s still pissed? I just wanted this Christmas to be perfect… show her how great family can be…_

After surveying the room, he quietly made his way down the hall and towards his room. He knocked lightly, but no response came. When he cracked the door, the light from the hall illuminated the dark room to reveal her fast asleep on the bed. Jensen walked in and went to her side, crouching to be level with her. Brushing back a piece of hair that had fallen over her cheek, he noticed the tear stains of makeup beneath it, and his heart wrenched.

 _Dammit,_  he growled to himself,  _I didn’t want to make her cry…_

Deciding to leave her to rest, he kissed her head and left the room, softly closing the door behind him.

He was angry with himself for not talking to her about it before making the plans. Afraid he’d ruined her Christmas, he was solely focused on what to do to make it right as he stalked down the hallway. Jensen was so lost in his thoughts, that he nearly toppled Jill when he ran into her.

“Whoa, there. Where’s the fire?” she teased until she saw his furrowed brow. “Everything alright?”

He glanced back at the room where his wife lay sleeping. “No. I think I fucked up, big time.”

Jill grabbed his elbow and swiftly pulled him into her and Filip’s room. “What did you do?”

“Easy tiger… nothing bad bad, just… I planned all this, right? But I didn’t tell her until it was done. And now I think she’s pissed. She didn’t come skiing today, stayed in the kitchen all afternoon… then she never came to dinner and I find her asleep in the room. Plus, I think she was crying.” He plopped to the mattress and rubbed his hands over his face. “I just wanted to surprise her… I didn’t realize how important it was to her that it just be us.”

Jill sat next to him on the bed and patted his knee. “Don’t beat yourself up. What you did here was amazing, okay? She loved it. Yes, a little disappointed at first, but she was in awe of everything you did to make this so perfect.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Really. But… maybe, there is a way to give her a bit of that alone time. Didn’t you say there were two cabins on the property?”

“Yeah. Jared and Gen have the one, but the other is empty. It’s a little further up the mountain, but not much. Why?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course,” he said, but eyed her suspiciously. “Why?”

“I have an idea, but it’s going to require everyone’s help.”

He eyed her suspiciously but was intrigued by what she was thinking. “Alright Lucy… ‘splain yourself,” Jensen said in his best Ricky Riccardo voice.

Jill laid out her plan, to which Jensen was immediately on board with. It took their four best friends, a couple of kids, and most of Christmas Eve night, but by the time dawn broke the next morning, everything was done and ready to go. All he needed now, was his wife.

* * *

 

Christmas morning.

Someone was shaking you awake. Not violently, but enough that it worked and pulled you from slumber. There was a softly lit lamp on in the corner of the room, which was otherwise still dark. Checking the clock on the nightstand, it was only a quarter past five in the morning. Groaning, you didn’t bother to see who had woken you. Instead, you just put the pillow over your head and tried to go back to sleep.

“Nooope, come on sleepy head,” the voice chastised. “Rise and shine. It’s Christmas.”

“Mmmm… go away,” you moaned, but the shaking of your legs continued.

“Come on, (Y/N), Santa came and left you an awesome gift.”

Slowly sitting up, and wiping the sleep from your eyes, you saw Jill sitting on the edge of the bed. When you realized it was her, you turned to Jensen’s side of the bed and saw that it was never slept in.

“What… where’s–?”

“He’s waiting for you, come on,” Jill encouraged as she grabbed your hand, sitting you up more.

“What is happening,” you said, finally standing up from the bed.

“Well, first, you’re going into the bathroom and washing your face. Then, bundle up because we are heading outside.  _Then_ , well, you’ll have to wait and see.”

Now that you were more awake, you saw the determination set onto her face and knew better not to argue. You did as commanded, and even put on a fresh change of clothes before leaving the room.

The house was completely silent. The big tree in the great room was the only light there was, and under it were piles of gifts that weren’t there the night before.

“Get your coat,” she directed. “And a hat, it’s cold.”

Heading out the front door, you followed her into the Jeep that was running and relished in the heat of its interior. As she maneuvered it further up the mountain, you were starting to feel slightly nervous as to what was happening. Minutes later, she turned into a barely noticeable driveway that led up to a small cabin. Smoke was already pouring from its chimney and even though there weren’t too many windows in front, you could see a low light flickering from inside.

Jill put the Jeep in park but left it running. “Go on, this is where you get out.”

You looked at her curiously and laughed. “Alright… are you coming?”

“Nope, this is just for you. Merry Christmas, (Y/N). I hope its everything you dreamed of.” Your best friend of many years swiped at the tear that slowly rolled down her cheek before reaching over to hug you.

“Merry Christmas,” you said, fighting back your own emotion as you returned her embrace.

Cautiously, you approached the cabin and the closer you got, you began to hear music coming from inside. At the door, you paused for a moment and tried to stow yourself against what you might find when you were finally able to open it. The choice was made for you, as it opened just as you went to twist the handle.

Jensen’s smiling face greeted you, a dreamy look on his face as he exhaled nervously.

“I was afraid she got lost,” he teased before excitedly pulling you inside. “Merry Christmas, baby.”

His words were lost to you as you looked around the cabin in awe. Just like the main house, this one was decorated to the hilts; only it wasn’t as sparkly and formal. This was more how it would have been at home. In the corner, was a small, tabletop tree, all dressed in colored lights and homemade ornaments. The petite silver star glittered with the reflection of flames from the fireplace beside it. On the other side of the cobblestoned fireplace was a table that had stacks of Christmas movies next to it, along with an array of snacks and drinks.

On the far side of the cabin, was a large picture window that looked out over the mountain range. Across it, colored lights were woven along the curtain rod, while paper snowflakes dangled from a silver string attached to them. The couch was covered in holiday pillows and large, plush blankets that looked so inviting to cozy up against. The air smelled like apples and cinnamon, while your favorite Christmas songs were playing softly from somewhere in the room. The best part of it all was that you and he were the only ones there.

Jensen stood silently behind you and waited anxiously for you to say something. You wanted to, desperately, but you were so choked up by everything he’d done, it rendered you speechless. When you turned to face him, and he saw the tears welling in your eyes. Biting his lower lip, he gently took your fingers and reeled you into him, his gaze steadily holding onto yours.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry again,” he mused and kissed your head. “I’ve done enough of that already.”

“What?” you asked and remembered the night before. “Do you mean last night?”

“Yeah, you didn’t come back and I thought—”

“No… Jensen, God, I am so sorry. I wasn’t upset with you, I swear. I was tired and not feeling good.”

“Your makeup—”

“Yes, I was upset, but not—Shit. I’m sorry, it wasn’t about you. Just a rush of emotion, I promise. You did all of this because you thought I was upset?”

You pulled back from him to gauge his reaction. When he nodded you felt awful; he needed to know that it wasn’t about the vacation… it was about the secret you were dying to share.

“Jensen, this is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me.” You took his hand and led him over to the couch. You sat on both knees facing him and took his face between your hands. “I love you, more than anything. This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had. Honestly. Even if we didn’t get alone time, I got time with you and that’s all that matters. I’m sorry if I made you doubt that.”

“I just want you to be happy, (Y/N).”

“I am happy, as long as I have you.” You bent your lips to meet his, showing him just how much you loved him. When you finally broke free, the goofy smile and wistful look on his face lingered, his hands warm against your hips as they tenderly massaged at your flesh, tickling that part of you that always stirred when he gazed at you like that.

“Wanna open a present?” he asked. His grin turning into that of an excited little boy.

“I’d love too,” you said and thought back to the special present you had hidden away in the room. “Oh damn, I left yours back there. I didn’t know—”

“Nope, all taken care of. Well, I mean, Jill took care of it.”

“She did?”

“Oh yeah. She took care of the presents. Said she knew where you had mine,” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Jared, Shep, and Thomas added the lights and paper snowflakes… Filip decorated the tree. My mom got all the food and snacks together, and Gen made sure we were gonna be cozy with the pillows and blankets.”

“So, everyone pitched in on this?”

He stood up from the couch and nodded. “Yep. We have a pretty great group of friends. Be right back, okay? Don’t go anywhere.”

You laughed as he disappeared into the back room of the cabin. Peaking now at the gifts under the tree, you tried to find the ones you’d packed for Jensen, and there on the pile was the special gift you had brought. Jill boxed it up and wrapped it, simply labeling the tag, To: Jensen, From: Santa. Picking it up, you held it close to your heart as you heard Jensen return from the other room. Placing it on the side of the couch, you sat back down and watched as Jensen reentered the room, but his back was too you and he didn’t turn.

“Before I give you this… just remember you love me and you think I’m cute. Now, close your eyes.”

“Okay…” you laughed and did as asked. You felt him sit beside you on the couch and couldn’t help but let your eyes flutter open as he was placing something warm and very soft in your arms.

A small, brown, white and black beagle puppy was wiggling in your arms, trying to jump up and lick at your face. You immediately fell in love with him, as it whined softly, yet excitedly at you.

“Oh my God… Jay…”

“Like him?” he asked.

“Like him? I love him! But… a puppy? How—he’ll get so crazy in the apartment. I mean, we can walk him a lot, right? And dog parks… Think he’ll travel, alright?” You couldn’t stop yourself from smiling and laughing as the puppy assaulted you with love.

“Whoa, well… wait. That’s the thing. I think its time for the apartment to go. I think, its time to find  _OUR_  place. For you and me, and puppy makes three… you know? Settle somewhere more permanent. Wherever you want, as long as it’s ours.”

“Funny you mention that…” you started and swallowed nervously. You turned and grabbed his special gift. When you handed it to him, you noticed your hands were shaking. “Merry Christmas, Jensen.”

The puppy leapt up and nipped at your cheek, making you laugh and nuzzle him just as Jensen took the gift. You were trying not to appear too anxious for him to open it, by giving the dog all your attention, but inside you were screaming with exhilaration. Finally, Jensen was going to know…

He tore at the paper and tossed it aside before opening the lid of the box. When he removed that and pushed back the tissue paper, the realization of what he was seeing began to register through his expression, causing the sting of tears to touch the corner of your eyes.

Jensen slowly pulled the onesie out and let the box fall to the floor. He stared at it, using both hands to hold it up and read the message on the front. His tongue darted over his bottom lip as he nervously looked back up at you, his own bright green eyes starting to be wet with a swell of tears.

“Seriously?” he expelled in a single, soft breath. “You’re–?”

“Mhm… guess we have two babies to take care of now, huh?” you bent down and nuzzled the puppy’s nose again before looking back at him.

You couldn’t read him at first. He just stared, almost breathlessly at the tiny little shirt that your son or daughter would be wearing at this time next year. “Jensen? Say something, please.”

It was his turn to be speechless. Forgetting about the puppy, he grabbed you and pulled you towards him, crushing his mouth to yours and kissing you deeply. The puppy squealed and wiggled its way from your arms and jumped down to the floor. Jensen took advantage of its absence, to hoist you over to straddle his lap on the couch. He tangled his hand up in your hair, giving him more leverage to deepen the kiss. Jensen didn’t need to say any words, though he did let his tongue to the talking.

By the time he was ready to release you, you were catching your breath and smiling wide, overcome with so much love and elation, it was hard to control.

“I can’t believe it… How long? I mean, how far? When is it—like soon?” he was frantic with questions, which made him even cuter than he normally was.

“Not too long, about five weeks, so not soon, no. I have a doctor’s appointment right after the new year, so I’ll know for sure, then. But, probably end of summer.”

“Wow. Well, I guess we need to get on that whole buy a house, thing, huh? So, where do we set this all up? Hmm? Back east, so you can be closer to work?”

You shook your head and bit down on your lower lip. “I was thinking Texas. I don’t need to be closer to work since I’ve decided not to work there anymore. I think it’s time I found something else to work at, you know after this whole baby thing happens.”

The relief he felt was telling on his face. “You mean that?”

“I do. Besides, I want to be closer to our friends and family. I don’t want either of our little babies here to ever miss out on a second with any of them.”

“Texas it is,” he said and kissed you again. “Just for the record, anywhere you would have picked, would be home. Long as I am with you.”

“Okay, okay… you got a ton of points already, mister, you don’t need to lay it on so thick,” you teased, making him sigh dramatically.

From the floor below, the puppy barked at the wrapping paper scattered on the floor and pounced on it making the two of you chuckle. Sliding from Jensen’s lap, you grabbed the beagle from the floor and snuggled it while leaning back against your husband’s chest. As you lay there with them, with Jensen’s arms protectively around you, you closed your eyes and smiled. For the next few hours, you stayed that way, watching the fire and talking about the future.

 _Best. Christmas. Ever,_  you thought as you snuggled into him deeper and enjoyed the quiet time you and Jensen, finally, were able to get. 


End file.
